Migrators Flying over Finale
Local birds: resident and transient
Seasonal avifauna (or bird) migrations are among the most fascinating natural spectacles on the planet.
The South-West to North-East bird migratory route over the Mediterranean is among the most prominent. Starting out from North-West Africa, this route crosses the Straits of Gibraltar, carries on along the Spanish and French coast of the Mediterranean before reaching the Finale area and Mount Beigua. Indeed, several species head on towards the Po River Valley and Central and Northern Europe.
MORE INFORMATION – Migrators Flying over Finale
Migratory flows in flapping flight start in February, when the first V-shaped formations of Cranes flock over Finale in large noisy dances of as many as 500 birds. March hails the passage of large diurnal soaring raptors called Short-Toed Snake Eagles that take advantage of thermal updrafts. April and May bring many more migratory avian species to and over Finale, including Black and White Storks, Egrets and Cattle Egrets, Red Herons, European Bee-Eaters (Merops apiaster), European Honey Buzzards, Marsh Harriers and Eurasian Hobbies.
While many of these species simply fly over the area, occasionally stopping for a short break before carrying on along the North-Eastbound route, others, especially pairs of Short-Toed Snake Eagles and Honey Buzzards, stop in the hinterland to reproduce, thereby enriching the area’s seasonal biodiversity. In late summer and early autumn, these species return to North and sub-Saharan Africa for the winter.
[ls_content_block id=”7170″]
