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Nature, Wildlife & Birding
Northern Spain has a wealth of natural environments for your to get out into, ranging from coast, wetlands, rivers, forests and mountains. Wildlife is flourishing aided by proper protection and environmental education. Birding enthusiasts will find opportunities to spot some harder to find species. Your custom private escorted Northern Spain tour with us is the best way get closer to our open spaces and their residents.
nature /ˈnāCHər/
The phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth.
Nature is never far with over 30 national and regional protected natural areas and more than a dozen UNESCO World Heritage designated Biosphere reserves. A vast network with a wide variety of ecosystems awaits, from the alpine Picos de Europa to the coastal Islas Atlanticas flagship National Parks, and everything in between. Getting out for a hike or other activities in these spectacular environments is a real treat.
wildlife /ˈwīl(d)līf/
Wild animals collectively; the native fauna (and sometimes flora) of a region.
If wildlife spotting is of interest, opportunities abound in various environments. European red deer and roe deer are quite common in some areas, with the rutting seasons offering particularly close encounters. Fox, badgers, ferrets, martens and river otters can also be seen if you know where to look. The Cantabrian brown bear has mad a huge recovery with a rebounding population. Carnivores such as the Iberian wolf and the European wildcat can be seen as well, but take a bit more effort, a dose of patience and some luck.
birding /ˈbərdiNG/
The observation of birds in their natural habitats as a hobby.
Birding enthusiasts will find a wide range of habitats from coastal, wetland, river, forest, uplands mountain and alpine environments, with both resident and migrant species, some of which are life list holes for many. Some species that are harder (or impossible) to see elsewhere, can all be found here, including: the great bustard, bearded vulture (lammergeier), Egyption vulture, alpine chough, alpine accentor and the wallcreeper.
Are you wild about nature? Get out into it and catch a glimpse of our wildlife and birds on your private, escorted Northern Spain Tour with us. Your Chief Experience Officer, Charles, will custom design your tour, guided by your interests and tailor an experience that will exceed your expectations. A Northern Spain nature tour, a Northern Spain wildlife tour or a Northern Spain birding tour can be a focus for your custom tour. My tour area covers traditional Northern Spain, including the regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Euskadi (Basque Country), Navarra, La Rioja and northern Castilla & Leon (Leon, Palencia and Burgos).
Northern Spain Nature, Wildlife and Birds on the Net
It is not often that you can see a deer hunt by a wolf deep in the forest. The FAPAS cameras have captured an exceptional document. It is one of the cameras to identify reproductive female bears in the interior of forest territories where sightings from a great distance are not possible. These cameras discover what is happening inside the forest and we can learn a lot from the images.
In 1993 and 1994, the bear population in Spain plummeted to between 50 and 60. Since then, the number of female brown bears with cubs has grown 10% a year. When numbers were in decline, Somiedo Natural Park remained a stronghold for the bears. Now it is an important tourist attraction, with 40,000 people visiting the park last year, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Juan Díaz, who has been working with the Asturian government’s Bear Patrol for 25 years, sums up the current situation: “In the last decade, the growth has been spectacular. Before you needed to do 10 observations to see one species, and now you see eight.”
A farming community in north-west Spain may hold the answer to coexistence with wild carnivores.....The wolf is a generalist that can hunt both wild and domestic prey. This flexibility, together with stricter conservation laws and better habitat conditions, has allowed their populations and those of other European carnivores (bears, lynx and wolverines) to rebound and reclaim old territories across the continent.
From the wide range of interesting habitats to an equally fascinating array of species, learn why Spain is one of the best countries for wildlife holidays.