Bird watching at Doñana
The northern area of Doñana, that all visitors have to cross before reching the parks visitor center is a wonderful area for birding especially in the wet season. Several species of waterfowl can be spotted here, including Marbled and White-headed Ducks, resident species like the Glossy Ibis, and the Spoonbill, Red-knobbed Coot, Red-crested Pochard, Little and Cattle Egrets, Night and Squacco Herons and thousands of Flamingos can easily be spotted in this area of the park.
In summer, Short-toed Lark, Purple and Night Herons, and Gull-billed Tern, can all be found as well as Short-toed Eagles, Black Terns and the rare Rufous Bush Robin all show up in nothern Doñana.
In the parks south, at least 2 days are needed to properly experience everything. The Asperillo, a scrubland within the old dunes are home to a wide variety of warblers.
La Rocina, closer to the river is one of the parks best birding spots during the wet season. There are several hides and nice footpaths where you can observe many species of waterfowl and aquatic birds.
Summer residents of this area include, among others: Savi’s Warblers, Bee-eaters, Gull-billed Terns, Booted Eagles, and Whiskered Terns. Harder to spot, but also a resident of this southern slice of Doñana is the Spanish Imperial Eagle, one of the parks endangered species.
In winter, the area really comes alive: Great White Egrets, Osprey, Black-tailed Godwits and a large number of waders visit Doñana. During migration, Garganey and Temminck’s Stint are also seen regularly.