Strait of Gibraltar - Honey Buzzard Migration

Timed to coincide with the peak of the European Honey Buzzard migration, this tour places us at the very heart of one of Europe's greatest wildlife spectacles: the mass movement of thousands of these elegant raptors as they journey northwards across the Strait of Gibraltar to their breeding grounds. The Strait, a mere 14 kilometres wide, acts as a narrow but critical corridor — its unique geography and geology affording a final launch point from the African continent. Soaring birds gather height on Moroccan thermals before making the sea crossing, and in doing so, they create a visual feast for observers. Mornings are typically spent at carefully selected watchpoints near Tarifa and Algeciras where, with favourable weather, streams of Honey Buzzards pass overhead in their hundreds or even thousands, often joined by Black Kites, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, and occasionally the increasingly regular Ruppell's Vulture. 

Though late in the migration season, May offers no shortage of drama. Up to 15,000 Honey Buzzards can pass through in just a few days, often in tight, spiralling kettles that gather over the wooded hills and coastal slopes before crossing. In total, the spring season can see 250,000 raptors pass through the area, and by May, the movement remains highly impressive. These thermally borne migrants are complemented by an extraordinary supporting cast. Among the most anticipated are Spanish Imperial Eagle and Bonelli's Eagle, while Lesser Kestrels patrol the air above Tarifa's Old Town and European Bee-eaters fill the skies with colour and chatter as they dig nesting burrows in exposed sandy banks.

Alongside the great migration spectacle, the week includes exploration of the region's outstanding birding sites during the breeding season, offering a rich array of Iberian wildlife experiences. Visits to coastal wetlands, farmland mosaics and wooded hills yield a contrasting avifauna: White-headed and Marbled Ducks, Red-crested Pochards, and Purple Swamphens lurk among reedbeds; Greater Flamingoes wade across saline lagoons; Kentish Plovers, Little Stints, Sanderlings and Collared Pratincoles animate the muddy fringes; and terns — Gull-billed, Little, Caspian and Whiskered — patrol the shorelines. Great Reed and Isabelline Warblers add to the chorus from dense vegetation. A colony of the Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis provides a poignant conservation highlight, this once-vanished species now thriving in the wild thanks to a successful reintroduction programme.

The wooded slopes of Los Alcornocales Natural Park — Europe's largest cork oak forest — provide another welcome contrast. Here we may find Crested Tits, Short-toed Treecreepers, Firecrests, Western Bonelli's Warblers, Rock and Cirl Buntings, and the secretive Red-necked Nightjar at roost. Meanwhile, open country holds Corn Bunting, Thekla Lark and Black-eared Wheatear, while the rocky coastline around the Sierra de la Plata harbours Blue Rock Thrush, Alpine Swift and the rare White-rumped Swift.

A boat trip out into the Strait adds a marine dimension to the week, offering chances of seeing three species of resident dolphins — Common, Bottlenose and Striped — as well as Long-finned Pilot Whales. With luck, migrating Fin or Sperm Whales may be spotted, and seabirds such as Balearic and Scopoli's Shearwaters, Great and Parasitic Skuas and Wilson's Storm Petrels can also appear offshore. The view back towards the Spanish and Moroccan coastlines from the boat further emphasises the narrowness — and ecological significance — of this great migration corridor.

The tour is designed with flexibility in mind, adapting daily to changing weather conditions and wind directions — levante and poniente breezes determine the location and timing of raptor movement. Our base for the week is a beautifully converted rural farmhouse, well situated for swift access to key sites and offering delicious Andalucian cuisine. Each day is punctuated by long lunches made from local produce and served with regional wine, providing time to relax and reflect before afternoon explorations. Evenings are often spent reviewing checklists and sharing stories over dinner, surrounded by orange groves and the soft calls of Scops Owls.

What sets this tour apart is not just the headline act — the Honey Buzzard migration — but the depth and breadth of wildlife on offer. Whether it is the elegance of a Spanish Imperial Eagle overhead, the soft whoosh of Bee-eaters at the nest, or the moment a pod of dolphins surfaces alongside the boat, the week delivers an immersive and beautifully varied experience of spring in southern Spain. Ideal for seasoned birdwatchers and naturalists, this is a tour that pairs great ornithological drama with the subtler delights of the Iberian Peninsula's habitats and wildlife.