Azure-winged Magpies in Andalucia? (1 Viewer)

Morning

We're off to Granada and Tarifa in April and expect to get some birding done.

I've seen plenty of A-W Ms in southern Portugal, but Julie hasn't. Are they as common in Andalucia as they are further west or will we have to search them out?

Spent many an hour looking for them in the mountains above Malaga, where they are supposed to occur, but no joy. As a compensation though, lots of short-toed and booted eagles. Good luck.
Pete

I did have them in a car park at Donana years ago - but they were mad difficult, even early morning.

Do Azure-Winged Magpies occur in the Balearic Islands ???
I'm off there in May and would very much like to see them ...

We found them plentiful in the hills north of Seville in October.

Peakster said:

Do Azure-Winged Magpies occur in the Balearic Islands ???
I'm off there in May and would very much like to see them ...

Click to expand...

No they don't.

In my experience, they're not as common as in Southern Portugal (where in some regions, they are one of the commonest birds around), but I never had problems seeing them around Andalucia. Also, as far as I have experienced, they usually are pretty easy to see in Doñana...
Hope it's of some help...

In November 2004 there were about twenty birds in the wooded sandhills adjacent to the Hotel Barcello in Punta Umbria (ie to the NW)

pandachris said:

Morning

We're off to Granada and Tarifa in April and expect to get some birding done.

I've seen plenty of A-W Ms in southern Portugal, but Julie hasn't. Are they as common in Andalucia as they are further west or will we have to search them out?

Click to expand...

Azure-winged (Iberian) Magpies can be found around the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada in Granada province, but they are not particularly numerous.

There are non to be found in the Tarifa area (Cádiz province), although you may find a few in the La Algaida forest near Sanlúcar de Barrameda, on the banks of the rñio Guadalquivir.

The largest populations in Andalucia appear to be in the southwest, in Sevilla and Huelva provinces, where we are overrun by them. There are hundreds living in the forests around my home village of Villamanrique and even greater numbers within a 20km radius.

Without doubt, the easiest place to get good close-up views of this species is at the El Acebuche visitors centre in Doñana. Beside the car-park there is a picnic area with tables and bench seating, All you have to do is sit down and get out a packet of biscuits and the birds will be around you pretty quickly. If you put crumbs on the table and sit quietly, the birds will come down from the trees and feed off of your table, less than a foot away. I have even had a few brave birds that have eaten out of my hand. You can't get better views than that!

I had a few flying around the Stone Pines at Hinojos en route to Donana (El Rocio) in December.

They were unmissable around the Car Park at El Acebuche Visitors Centre as well as in the Stone Pines East of El Rocio.

All technically in Andalucia but, admittedly, these sites are a few hours away from the likes of Malaga.

Alan

Alan G said:

I had a few flying around the Stone Pines at Hinojos en route to Donana (El Rocio) in December.

They were unmissable around the Car Park at El Acebuche Visitors Centre as well as in the Stone Pines East of El Rocio.

All technically in Andalucia but, admittedly, these sites are a few hours away from the likes of Malaga.

Alan

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I reckon we'll be a few hours from the likes of Malaga most of the time, too.

Thanks everybody for the useful replies. I'm not sure that we're going to make it as far as the Coto Donana - depends a bit on the kids - if they're sufficiently enthused by the Berbary apes and any cetaceans we see on the crossing to Morocco, thye might be up for the long drive - or alternatively we can slip them a few euros and tell them to go and do some kite-boarding or whatever it is they do near Tarifa. I think El rocio is within range though and we'll be spending some time in and around the Sierra Nevada.

If we don't see them, then we might come back for a few days next year and just concentrate on the Coto Donana.