Spain is one of Europe’s premier birding destinations, a country where vast steppes, rugged mountain ranges, ancient cork-oak dehesas, and internationally renowned wetlands combine to create an extraordinary diversity of habitats and birds. Our comprehensive journey traverses the length of the country, from the Atlantic marshes of Andalucía to the soaring peaks of the Pyrenees, exploring some of the finest birding sites in the Western Palearctic. Along the way, we’ll experience spectacular scenery, rich cultural heritage, and charming rural landscapes far removed from the typical tourist trail.

Spring is the ideal season to explore Spain. Resident specialities are joined by a wave of migrants returning from Africa, filling the countryside with colour, song, and activity. Over the course of the tour we’ll search for an impressive array of species, including Spanish Imperial Eagle, Great and Little Bustards, Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor, White-throated Dipper, Spectacled Warbler, and both Alpine and Red-billed Choughs. Raptors are a particular highlight, with the possibility of recording more than twenty species during the journey.

Our route begins in the historic city of Seville before exploring the wetlands of Doñana, the dramatic landscapes of Extremadura and Monfragüe, the vast steppes of central Spain, and the alpine habitats of the Sierra de Gredos and Pyrenees. The tour concludes in Catalonia after birding the productive plains around Lleida and the coastal wetlands near Barcelona. Comfortable accommodation, excellent local cuisine, and relaxed travel in spacious vehicles ensure that this remarkable birding adventure is as enjoyable as it is rewarding.

Tour Facts

Top Birds

Great & Little Bustards; Wallcreeper; Red-necked & Common Nightjars; Iberian Magpie; Ferruginous Duck (rare); Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin; Red & Black Kites; Short-toed Snake, Booted, Golden, Bonelli's & Spanish Imperial Eagles; Cinereous, Egyptian, Bearded & Griffon Vultures; European Honey Buzzard; Eurasian Crag Martin; Dupont’s, Calandra, Thekla’s, Crested, Mediterranean & Greater Short-toed Larks; Pin-tailed & Black-bellied Sandgrouse; Great Spotted Cuckoo; Iberian Grey Shrike; Eurasian Stone-curlew; Spanish Sparrow; Eurasian Eagle-Owl; Eurasian Scops Owl; Eurasian Golden Oriole; Red-rumped Swallow; Yellow-legged Gull; Ortolan Bunting; Iberian Green, Black, Middle Spotted & White-backed (rare) Woodpeckers; Citril Finch; White-throated Dipper; European Crested, Long-tailed & Eurasian Penduline Tits; European Pied Flycatcher; Bluethroat; Water Pipit; Red-legged Partridge; Woodchat Shrike; Red-billed & Alpine Chough; Iberian Chiffchaff; Alpine Accentor; White-winged Snowfinch; Western Capercaillie (rare); Rock Ptarmigan (rare); Boreal (Tengmalm’s) Owl (rare); Black Wheatear; Eurasian & Little Bitterns; Bearded Reedling; Water Rail; Melodious, Dartford, Sardinian, Western Bonelli’s, Spectacled, Western Subalpine, Western Olivaceous & Western Orphean Warblers, Scopoli’s & Mediterranean Shearwaters; White-rumped Swift; Firecrest; Whiskered & Gull-billed Terns; Purple Swamphen.

Top Mammals

Red Fox; Red Deer; Fallow Deer; Iberian Hare; European Rabbit; Wild Boar; Iberian Lynx (very rare); Spanish Ibex.

Habitats Covered

coastal wetlands, cork-oak dehesas, deciduous woodlands, olive groves, mountain crags, grasslands

Expected Climate

temperate, mainly mild

Max Group Size

6 with 1 Tour leader

Tour Pace & Walking

UNDEMANDING: This tour is ideal for birders and wildlife enthusiasts of all experience levels. It’s suitable for most mobility levels and offers a relaxed pace, ensuring an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Undemanding. Most species provide good visuals in open conditions.

Accommodation

Comfortable.

Ease of Birding

Undemanding. Most species provide good visuals in open conditions.

Number of Species Expected

230 - 250

Other Attractions

Grand Canyon of Castilla y Leon, ancient historical buildings & sites, great scenery, excellent food & wine

Photographic Opportunities

Worthwhile to good.

What our clients say about us

DB & AB, Spain 2022

Our guides were wonderful. Yeray was excellent on the extension, and we continued to ride in his van for the main tour. His knowledge of Spain, and the birds was amazing. He took so much care of his group and really was concerned about every detail. Dusan is such an enthusiastic bird guide, so excited about birds and getting everyone on the birds. His knowledge of the birds in Spain was fantastic.

KH, Spain 2023

This was a great short tour, well-designed to get us into a wide range of habitats for a fine selection of European birds. Yeray Seminario did a fantastic job of finding Spains specialties while making adjustments to dodge persistent rainstorms during the week and a local festival in Andalusia. He was knowledgeable, helpful, patient, and fun to bird with, and I would not hesitate to recommend his tours or travel with him again. There were lots of great birds; I particularly enjoyed the vultures, raptors, and the very accessible Northern Bald Ibis colony. Accommodations were great, particularly our last day at a lodge that specifically targeted birders, with its own hides. It was also a very fun group of birders. These days, shorter tours with smaller groups fill the bill for me, and I would love to see more of them!

CH & JH, Spain 2018

Guides Rob Williams & Alberto Bueno were professional, diligent and hardworking throughout the tour, maintaining their sense of humour and pleasant demeanour to the end; their respective birding competence was impeccable and, more importantly, they functioned as a team without issue or conflict, complimenting each other in a manner which quite enhanced the trip.

SC, Spain 2022

Both guides were excellent and also good drivers. They make a very good team together. They complemented each other well. Their knowledge of birds and lynx are incredible. They share their passions easily. They both made ebird lists which was greatly appreciated. Rob Williams has also a great sense of humor which made the trip even more fun. Yeray Seminario is very attentive to our needs and very good at managing the logistics. He was always keen to share information about Spain, birds, animals and answered all the questions that we asked. The wine and food were excellent as were the accommodations. Overall we had a great trip.

FO, Spain 2018

Everything was very good. We certainly tried for everything. Great that we had the time to look at reptiles, frogs, etc. I certainly got almost all my major targets.

Spain - Best of Birding (Small Group) I 2027

Spain - Best of Birding (Small Group) II 2027

Spain - Best of Birding (Small Group) I 2028

Spain - Best of Birding (Small Group) II 2028

Spain - Best of Birding (Small Group) I 2029

Spain - Best of Birding (Small Group) II 2029