The birds of Mallorca

The diversity of birds of Mallorca is very high and the island is home to many species that are rare or absent on the continent. Some of the resident birds are: Black (=Cinereous) and Griffon vultures, Booted and Bonelli’s eagles, Osprey, Peregrine, Scops owl, Blue rock thrush, Moustached warbler, Reed Bunting, Red-knobbed coot, Purple swamphen, Black-crowned night heron, Audouin’s Gull, Mediterranean shag, Hoppoe, Stone curlew, Sardinian warbler, European serin, Cirl bunting, Red crossbill, Firecrest, Wryneck.

bonellis-eagle1
The Bonelli’s eagle was reintroduced in 2011 and started breeding in 2014. In the last years, between six and seven pairs breed in Mallorca (Photo: Mallorca Bird Watching)

In spring many birds arrive to Mallorca to reproduce on the island; this is the case of the Eleonora’s falcon, Purple and Squacco herons, Woodchat Shrike, Nightingale, Mediterranean flycatcher (Balearic ssp), Yellow wagtailScopoli’s shearwater and European Bee-eater, among many others.

Both the endemic Balearic warbler and Balearic shearwater are among the most sought after species by most birders.

Birds of Mallorca
Balearic shearwater, endemic (©Biel Servera)

Species that winter in Mallorca include: Alpine accentor, Black redstart, Bluethroat, European starling, European robin, Common crane, Greater flamingo, Great egret, Dunlin, Grey plover and many species of ducks (Pintail, Garganey, Eurasian Wigeon, Tufted duck, Eurasian teal).

Thousands of migratory birds fly over the island in spring and autumn; just to mention a few of them: Honey buzzard, Golden oriole, Common Redstart, Common whitethroat, Pied Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike and many waders: Curlew sandpiper, Ruff, Bar-tailed godwit, Collared pratincole, etc.

For more information see: eBird logoGOB's Balearic Bird Report 2019