Sagres Birdwatching Festival 2013
The Sagres Birdwatching Festival will be taking place from October 4 to 6 and is expected to attract a large international audience.
This is the largest event dedicated to birds in the entire country, and it is organized by the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds – SPEA.
The main focus and attraction of the festival are unquestionably the birds, but this year there will also be workshops and field days meant to cover different themes ranging from astronomy to sharks, nocturnal butterflies and even mushroom foraging. The festival will also offer dolphin-watching as well as opportunities for horse riding or donkey walking.
The decision to diversity the activities of the festival came from the need to give increased importance to the region’s natural heritage, and as such to focus on developing the nature tourism segment.
The idea is to complement the birdwatching portion of the festival with several linked activities which are family-oriented so as to get the little ones interested in their natural surroundings.
The Sagres peninsula is integrated within the Natural Park of the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentina Coast, and it is also one of the most important bird zones in Portugal being the home of unique species, as well as being the stage for a unique natural phenomenon, the autumn migration of soaring birds.
The peninsula is such a great destination for birdwatching because it is on the main micration route for birds like storks, eagles, vultures, haws and falcons. This is also a great spot to observe marine birds, steppe birds and passerine birds as well. The Sagres peninsula is a birdwatcher’s paradise.
The birdwatching activities of the festival will be taking place throughout the day with binoculars or telescopes being available to participants in order to maximize their birdwatching experience.
