Alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Tachymarptis ("fast siezer") melba (by Linnaeus - unknown origin)

                                                      Alpine Swift (T. m. melba) at Monfrague National Park, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Tachymarptis melba melba

Weight: 100g  /  Length: 20-23cm  /  Wingspan: 57cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Alpine Swift is a huge species of swift - the largest in the region, and unmistakable when seen around other swifts and hirundines due to the size alone.  As with all swifts, they are incredibly highly engineered specialists at flight, being able to stay on the wing continuously for up to seven months at a time, including drinking, feeding and sleeping in flight. They generally breed in high mountain ranges, however there are exceptions, including the large bridge at the Monfrague national park where I saw them.  Swifts are generally the hardest ground of birds to photograph proportionate to how easy they are to see, but the large size and distinctive white chest of the Alpine Swift does as least make it a bit easier to some sort of recognisable photo - this one was only my second attempt, and probably just as good as any photo I have managed with Common Swift.

Related Species:

Order: Apodiformes

Family: Apodidae

Genus: Tachymarptis

Subspecies: T. m. melba, T. m. archeri, T. m. maximus, T. m. africanus, T. m. marjoriae, T. m. willsi, T. m. bakeri

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare vagrant.

 - One seen fleetingly at Bempton Cliffs in April 2022.

SPAIN - Spanish - Vencejo Reál - ("Royal Swift")

Scarce and Local Summer Migrant

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen at Monfrague (2 adults in flight)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Clamator ("shouter") glandarius ("of acorns")

                                                     Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) at Side, Antalya, Turkey - March 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 140-170g  /  Length: 35-39cm  /  Wingspan: 58-60cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Great Spotted Cuckoo is like it's more familiar relative, a brood parasite, although the range of this species is much more restricted.  In Europe the majority of it's range is in Spain, Portugal and Turkey, though it also has some small population in a few other countries.  As with the Common Cuckoo, it Winters in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is apparently fairly tricky to see though; there is a fairly limited window between the time it arrives and then heads up into the mountains to feed. 

Related Species:
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Clamator
Subspecies: none - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Críalo

Scarce and Local Summer Migrant

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Two seen briefly from moving car at Oropesa 

TURKEY  -   Turkish: Tepeli guguk ("Crested Cuckoo")
 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - One near Side.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Calandra Lark (Melanocorypha calandra)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Melanocorypha ("black lark") calandra (species specific name)

                                            Calandra Lark (subspecies M. c. calandra) at Laguna del Longar, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Melanocorypha calandra calandra

Weight: 44-73g  /  Length: 18-20cm  /  Wingspan: 38-44cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A large, powerfully built lark with a distinctive black "neckerchief" like mark, the Calandra lark is found around much of the rim of the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and into Central Asia, after which it is replaced by its closest relative, the Bimaculated Lark.  A bird of farmland and steppe, it feeds on seeds and insects.  It has a comparatively large population, but isn't the commonest lark species within its range.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Melanocorphya
Subspecies: M. c. calandra, M. c. hebraica, M. c. gaza, M. c. psammochroa

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Calandria común ("Common Calander")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Abundant at Laguna del Longar (dozens of Summer plumage birds)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus)

OTHER NAMES: Little Bittern

Latin Etymology: Ixobrychus ("reed like plant") minutus ("little")

                                           Adult Common Little Bittern (subspecies I. m. minutus) at El Pardo, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Ixobrychus minutus minutus

Weight: 59-150g  /  Length: 25-36cm  /  Wingspan: 40-58cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Common Little Bittern is easily the smallest member of the Heron Family found in Europe - my first glimpse of this species flying away from me up a river and my first thought was some species of crake until I saw it's face.  They are a secretive species, yet seemingly not so much as the great Bittern, and their smaller size allows them to be present in smaller reed-beds than it's relative could hide in.  At El Pardo I saw my first individual which was fairly showy in that it stayed in the open for an extended amount of time once it had landed - I saw far more at Arrocampo reserve near Monfrague National Park, but these individuals were really only seen in transit from one reed-bed to the next.

Related Species: 
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Ixobrychus
Subspecies: I. m. minutus, I. m. payesii, I. m. podiceps

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Avetorillo común ("Common Bittern")

Locally common resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen in small numbers at El Pardo (one or two birds seen) and Arrocampo (at least 2 individuals)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

European Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)

OTHER NAMES: Pied Flycatcher

Latin Etymology: Ficedula (a small fig eating bird in Latin) hypoleuca ("white beneath")

Male European Pied Flycatcher (subspecies F. n. hypoleuca) at Bassenthrwaite Lake, Cumbria - June 2022

Featured Subspecies: Ficedula hypoleuca hypoleuca

Weight: 10-15g  /  Length: 13cm  /  Wingspan: 22cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

The Pied Flycatcher is one of the species in the UK that is mostly limited to the West and North of the UK, it generally prefers old oak-woodland.  This means it tends to be mostly found in Wales, Northern England and Scotland.  However, as a migrant, it can be theoretically seen on passage anywhere, as was the case with this female/juvenile bird seen in the gardens of Alexandra Palace.  The adult male is much more distinctive - being a bold black and white species, and as such is probably a bit easier to pick out when you see them.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Ficedula
Subspecies: F. h. hypoleuca, F. h. iberiae, S. h. sibirica

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Locally common in the North and West as a Summer Breeding Migrant (17,000-20,000 pairs). 

 - Single female/juvenile bird seen on passage at Alexandra Palace (September 2015), .

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Sylvia ("woodland sprite") curruca (bird mentioned by Juvenal)

Adult Lesser Whitethroats (subspecies S. c. curruca) at Alexandra Palace, London - September 2015

Featured Subspecies: Sylvia curruca curruca

Weight: 12g  /  Length: 13cm  /  Wingspan: 18cm

UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Lesser Whitethroat is perhaps the most difficult to see species relative to how common it is - it is perhaps the most skulking of the widespread warblers of the UK, much easier to hear than it is to see with it's vaguely belligerent harsh sounding repeated "jut" sounds.   It also suffers from being similar to the related common whitethroat, there are some features which can be used to separate it out - dark coloured legs, a pale "milky" breast (rather than pinkish), a dark mask (rather than a uniformly grey head) and a cool brown back (rather than warm russet).  I'd actually seen this species a couple of times prior to finally managing to photograph it, generally glimpses before vanishing into a thicket. However, while in Alexandra Park in Autumn I ended up getting easily identifiable views on several occasions throughout the morning - this could tie into the fact that as their migration approaches they apparently are less skulking.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylvdiidae
Genus: Sylvia
Subspecies: S. c. curruca, S. c. blythi

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Widespread but secretive breeding Summer migrant (74,000 birds) 

 - Seen in late Summer at Rutland Water and Alexandra Palace, heard in various other locations

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)

OTHER NAMES: Iberian Grey Shrike

Latin Etymology: Lanius ("to tear to pieces") meridionalis ("southern")

Adult Southern Grey Shrike (subspecies L. m. meridionalis) on farmland near Madrid, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: Lanius meridionalis meridionalis
Weight: 56-80g  /  Length: 24-25cm  /  Wingspan: 30-34cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Southern Grey Shrike was formerly considered a subspecies of the Great Grey Shrike which it is visually very similar to.  However, studies discovered that where the two co-exist they don't interbreed and live in different habitats.  Unlike in the UK Shrikes are fairly widespread resident and so for it's country is much easier to see, if still fairly scarce.  There are a number of fairly specific details that can be used to differentiate between the two species, however, as the Great Grey isn't found in Spain, it is fairly safe to identify Grey shrikes as this species.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Laniidae
Genus: Lanius
Subspecies: L. m. meridionalis, L. m. koenigi, L. m. algeriensis, L. m. elegans, L. m.               leucopygos, L. m. aucheri, L. m. theresae, L. m. buryi, L. m. uncinatus, L. m. jebelmarrae, L. m. lahtora

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Alcaudón reál ("Royal Shrike")

Widespread breeding resident in low densities.

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: One bird seen on farmland in the vicinity of Madrid (dozens of Summer plumage birds)
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: A number seen briefly from moving vehicles en-route to various locations in Castille-La-Mancha and Extremadura


Further Notes:BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Circus ("named for circling flight") pygargus ("white rump")

Adult male Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) on farmland near Madrid, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 230-440g  /  Length: 43-47cm  /  Wingspan: 105-120cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

  Named after the naturalist George Montagu, this is the smallest of the three main harrier species found in the UK, but more notable perhaps is its rarity. Montagu's Harrier is arguably the most difficult raptor species to see in the UK; only a handful of pairs nest here each year, and due to it's rarity (and thus desirability for egg collectors) all those sites are kept secret from the public.  This means that unless you are in the know, you would have to catch one of the handful of birds on migration - not an easy task.  I chose an easier option, looking for them in Spain where the climate and habitat is much more suitable for this bird, and so they are much more numerous.  On the tour with Luis Sitges, several were spotted throughout the morning, quartering the fields fairly prominently, though always at a fair distance.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Circus
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Aguilucho cenizo ("Ashen Harrier")

Fairly common Summer migrant.

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Several seen on farmland near Madrid
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Several seen from a moving vehicle in both Extremadura and Castille-La-Mancha

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
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Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Aquila ("eagle") chrysaetos ("gold eagle")

Adult Golden Eagle (subspecies A. c. chrysaotus)  near Side, Antalya, Turkey - March 2025

Featured Subspecies: Aquila chrysaetos chryseotus

Weight: 4.2kg  /  Length: 66-102cm  /  Wingspan: 180-234cm

UK AMBER LIST  / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Golden Eagle is a large species and massively widely distributed across the Northern hemisphere and as such culturally fairly ubiquitous as an emblem in Northern Hemisphere cultures, being popular in heraldry, falconry, mythology and ritualism across North America, Europe and Asia.  While not necessarily the largest eagle, as a comparatively versatile species it can be found in a broader range of habitats than specialized larger species, although human encroachment has tended to force it to more remote locations dues to its need for large territories where it can hunt.  I first saw a Golden Eagle when I was young when I went to see the sole remaining bird in England, and while there is a full sustainable population in Scotland (and indeed, Japan), I finally caught up with this species in the hills North of Madrid, where this species is fairly scarce.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Aquila
Subspecies: A. c. chrysaetos, A. c. canadensis, A. c. homeyeri, A. c. kamtschatica, A. c. daphanea, A. c. japonica

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Rare breeding species now limited to Scotland (440 pairs)

 - The single resident bird seen at Haweswater in the late 90s, as of 2016, it is missing and so the species in probably extinct in England.

SPAIN - Spanish - Águila reál ("Royal Eagle")
Rare and local resident.

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: A single individual seen flying over at Patones 

TURKEY  -   Turkish: Kaya kartalı ("Rock eagle")
 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - One in mountains near Side

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus)

OTHER NAMES: European Crested Tit 

Latin Etymology: Lophophanes ("crest showing") cristatus ("crested")

Adult Crested Tit (subspecies L. c. mitratus) in Parque Oeste, Madrid, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: Lophophanes cristatus mitratus

Weight: 10-13g  /  Length: 11.5cm  /  Wingspan: 17-20cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Crested Tit is a highly distinctive species in Europe, its sharp crest being a feature not found in any other tit species on the continent making it's identification easy.  However, as a British species it's distribution is very restricted - while on mainland Europe it can be found throughout Northern and Western Europe, in the UK it can only be found in the ancient Caledonian Forests of Scotland.  Everywhere else in it's range, it can be be found in any suitable pine habitat, including in city parks such as the one in Madrid where we found this one!

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Lophophanes
Subspecies: L. .c scotius, L. c. abadiei, L. c. weigoldi, L. c. cristatus, L. c. baschkirikus, L. c. mitratus, L. c. bureschi.

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Herrerillo capuchina ("Capuchin Tit")
Fairly Common and widespread resident in suitable habitat

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Small flock seen in Parque Oeste

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Several pairs seen in treetops at El Pardo 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus)

OTHER NAMES: Rough-legged Hawk

Latin Etymology: Buteo ("buzzard") lagopus ("hare foot")

Rough-Legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) at Stone Creek, East Yorkshire - November 2023

Featured Subspecies: Buteo lagopus lagopus
Weight: 600-1600g  /  Length: 50-63cm  /  Wingspan: 120-150cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Probably the scarcest of what are commonly considered "British" raptors, the Rough-legged Buzzard is an irruptive species that breeds in Arctic tundra and taiga which primarily feeds on small mammals, and a poor winter for such species will send them migrating to other locations such as the UK. One of the larger buteo species, it's distinct markings can differentiate it in the field from Common Buzzard. The only Buteo to truely hover, it's hunting technique is reminiscent of the much smaller Common kestrel.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Buteo
Subspecies: B. l. lagopus, B. l. sanctijohannis, B. l. kamtchatkensis

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Very rare Wintering species which arrives on an irruption pattern (10-150 birds in influx years)

 - A single individual seen distantly Holme Fen in January 2015.  Another at Stone Creek in November 2023. 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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