the land of the bustards
A big section of the Seville province is occupied by farmlands, where wheat, sunflower and olive crops dominate.
Inside this vast area, the triangle formed by Marchena, Osuna and Écija, with La Lantejuela as its epicentre (about 70 km east of Seville), stands out ornithologically.
As this is one of the most important areas for steppe birds in Andalusia, it has been declared as a Important Bird Area.
Here, apart from the crops, the diversity increases due to the presence of several seasonal brackish lagoons.
This area offers a very rich diversity of birds, gathering typical birds from steppe with some other waterfowl in close proximity.
Regarding steppe birds, we can highlight one of the largest Andalusian populations of both bustards. Great Bustard and Little Bustard. While the first one is keeping its population stable, the second one is rapidly decreasing.
Other interesting birds of open areas are Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Montagu’s Harrier, Black Shouldered Kite, Lesser Kestrel and European Roller.
Among the wetland birds the Greater Flamingo is usual but the most wanted bird is the White-headed Duck.
Best route for steppeland birds.
Presence of White-headed Duck.
On this route all observations are realized from the car or its surroundings.
We will use the extensive network of secondary roads and tracks to explore the area in search of the different bird species.
If they are flooded, we will also visit different lagoons in search of wetland birds, among which we can highlight La Ballestera and Calderón Grande.
Of special interest is the Gobierno´s lake, because of the artificial water irrigation which does not drain in the summer time.
Most wanted birds
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Great Spotted Cuckoo
Red-necked Nightjar
Pallid Swift
European Bee-eater
Red-rumped Swallow
Black-eared Wheatear
Western Olivaceous Warbler
Greater Flamingo
Calandra Lark
Spotless Starling
Spanish Sparrow
MAIN HABITATS
TOP BIRDS
Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse
LOCATION
DURATION
From Seville: ≈ 10 hours.
From Osuna: ≈ 8 hours.
AVAILABILITY
All year round.