Are you going to Fuerteventura on holiday soon? If so, to learn about bird watching opportunities on the island read our guide for more facts and information…
Being an island paradise, most of the activities on offer in Fuerteventura are water based. However, one of the most popular land activities on the island is bird watching. Of all of the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura has the greatest number of birds. Below is some information on the bird watching opportunities on the island…
Wild Birds Fuerteventura
Wild birds in Fuerteventura include migratory birds, nesting birds, as well as native birds.
One of the migratory birds is The Guirre. It is a migratory bird, but a number of these now reside permanently on the island. The Guirre is an endangered bird. It is said that there are now only 20 pairs of these birds left on the island, from 26-31 pairs a few years ago. It is a peculiar animal as it eats dead goats, rubbish and excrement. Part of their diminishing numbers has also to do with the fact that they only lay eggs once a year. They lay two, and only one survives.
Other wild birds include the Egyptian Vulture, White Tailed Eagles, Golden Eagle, and the Booted Eagle.
Wading Birds Fuerteventura
To see wading birds in Fuerteventura one needs to go to the salt marshes and ponds outside of Caleta de Fuste in Costa Calma. Wading birds include Ruddy Shelducks, and Muddy Ducks.
Native Birds Fuerteventura
These include the Fuerteventura Chat can be found in the shrubs of the hilly areas of Betancuria. These are recognised by their white collars and is one of the most sought after birds. Other native birds include the Spanish Imperial Eagle.
The best times to go bird watching are before 10 am and after 4pm. These can be viewed from the protected coastline areas, as well as the inland mountainous areas. The best places to go bird watching in Fuerteventura are Pajara, Betancuria, and the drive between them, Costa Calma, and Los Molinos, amongst others.
There are professional bird watching guided tours available. These range in price from 85Euors per person per day trip. For a couple expect to pay about 65Euros each. There are also half day trips available with charges starting from 45Euros per person. One bird watching guide company is Fuerteventura Bird Watch. Such guide companies will be able to recommend suitable times in the year in order to view special events such as the Houbara Bustard male displays for courtship, and bird migrations.
Bird watching groups are usually a maximum of 10 people. A group of 4 people or less can usually easily be accommodated for. However, groups of 5 or more people must book in advance in order to resolve logistical issues such as transportation.
The tours usually begin from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, and then again 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm, avoiding mid-day when it gets extremely hot in the summer. One can expect to see between 28 to 45 species per day.
