 Bird-watching enthusiasts who come to Languedoc Roussillon have 4 exciting areas to choose from - two mountainous (the Cévennes and the Pyrénées) and two wetlands (the Camargue and the Etangs of Narbonne).
Les Cévennes
Bird-watching in Languedoc's Cevennes is excellent. Technically part of the Massif Central these mountains are excellent for the traveling birder. Les Causses are large limestone plateaux excellent for open habitat species. Dividing deep gorges provide habitat for a wide range of cliff birds. Successful reintroduction of Griffon and Black Vulture has taken place in the Gorges de la Jontes. Large forests on the Massif de l`Aigoual have most of the common woodland birds as well as Black Woodpecker.
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Alpine Swift |
Ortolan Bunting |
Sardinian Warbler |
Shrike |
Tawny Pipit |
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Golden Eagle |
Black Vulture |
Eagle Owl |
Black Woodpecker |
Citril Finch |
The Camargue
Languedoc's Camargue, a huge salt-water swamp, is a brilliant bird watching area & not to be missed. It's famous for flamingoes, but also receives huge numbers of wildfowl over winter as well as Spotted Eagle. Migration time is the best with Sandpipers and Plovers in the saltpans (South of Salin de Giraud, Phare de la Gachole); freshwater waders (including good numbers of Marsh Sandpiper); Marsh Terns and Herons in the north (Basse Méjane, Mas d`Agon, Salin de Badon and La Capellière) and good passerine falls in bushes by the sea (Phare de la Gachole and Beauduc). Good bird watching information can be obtained at La Capellière in Languedoc, which has a decent set of hides as well as quite good exhibit on the local Ecology.
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Squacco Heron |
Spotted Eagle |
Purple Heron |
Ringed Plover |
The Etangs of Narbonne (Le Narbonnai)
Very good area in Languedoc for bird watching, offering visible migration (La station ornithologique de Gruissan) in both spring and Autumn... Pissevache (near Narbonne Plage); Les Salin de Lapalme and La Franquie (near Leucate) are all very good for water birds as well as providing good passerine falls. Cave has a small population of Spotless Starlings and the hills north of this little village have the only French population of Thekla Lark. The whole area has a good population of Great-spotted Cuckoo. For information about this area contact the LPO-Aude. Pelicans can also be found near Perpignan.
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Great Spotted Cuckoo |
Thekla Lark |
Pelican |
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The Pyrénées
Although most of the high altitude specialty are present, Languedoc Roussillon's Pyrénées are renowned for the quantity and quality of the birds of prey present in the western part of the range. For Bearded Vulture, the Gavarnie area is the best bet, La Falaise aux Vautours in the Ossau valley has the biggest French colony of Griffon Vulture. Organbideska is the most spectacular visible migration spot in France starting with Black Kites in August and finishing with Cranes in November. Nearby Iraty Forest is a good spot for the elusive White-backed Woodpecker. Other good migration spots include: Eyne (eastern part of the range can have amazing Short-toed Eagle days, up to 200 per day!) and most pass on the western part of the mountains (for more information on migration counts in the Pyrénées contact OCL).
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Crane |
Red Kite |
Egyptian Vulture |
Booted Eagle |
White-backed Woodpecker |
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