Tejo Estuary Birds

The Tagus estuary is one of the largest wetlands in Europe and among the most important on the East Atlantic Flyway - more than a hundred thousand waterbirds winter here, with intertidal mudflats, salt marsh, salt pans and the rice fields of the Lezíria all feeding into one system. Greater flamingos are present in large numbers and have become the emblem, along with black-tailed godwits, avocets, dunlin, grey plover, spoonbills, and in the fields black-winged kites, purple herons and white storks. The reserve covers over fourteen thousand hectares on the southern and eastern shores around Alcochete and Vila Franca de Xira, with hides, trails and organised boat and vehicle tours. Numbers are highest from October to March; the rising tide is what pushes birds off the flats and towards the hides, so timing the tide matters more than the hour.

What you actually see

• The flamingos - large numbers on the flats and salt pans, the reserve's emblem.
• The waders - godwits, avocets, dunlin and plover in winter concentrations.
• The rice fields - the Lezíria, holding herons, kites and storks.
• The flyway role - over a hundred thousand waterbirds wintering here.

When to go

October to March for the largest numbers; spring for breeding species. Half a day to a day. Time the visit to a rising tide - it brings the birds in.

Honest expectations

Binoculars or a scope are essential; without them the flats show little. Hides and access points are scattered and a car is needed. Some areas are private farmland with no access. Wind and cold on the flats in winter.

Nearby

Alcochete is on the southern shore; Vila Franca de Xira and the Lezíria are north-east.