Places › Northern shore · Port

Punta de San García

Algeciras · 36.11° N, 5.44° W

The headland closing the bay to the south, with the Centenario park on the point: a lookout over the entrance, seabird passage and soaring birds heading out towards Punta Carnero. Public access through the park.

130
bird species: 1991–2024
first and last open record

See the place in the explorer

within about 0.5 km · Natural Earth cartography, public domain

90 % of the records are from 2017 onwards.

Few open observations: the southern shore has fewer observers, not less life. The figures here describe what has been published, not what is there.

September

What to watch this week

The species with the largest share of their open observations in these weeks of the year, here (week 37 and its two neighbours). A likelihood, not a promise: observations measure effort as well as presence.

Open records within about 0.5 km of the point by ISO week, all years added up. The current week is outlined.

SeasonalRinged PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Photo: Вячеслав Юсупов, CC BY
8% of its observations here fall in these weeks
ResidentSardinian WarblerSylvia melanocephala
Photo: Donald Davesne, CC BY
6% of its observations here fall in these weeks
ResidentEuropean GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Photo: Susan Marley, CC BY
6% of its observations here fall in these weeks
ResidentZitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
Photo: Morhaf kamal aljanee, CC BY-SA 4.0
5% of its observations here fall in these weeks
ResidentYellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
No freely licensed photo
5% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalWhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
Photo: Pierre Dalous, CC BY-SA
5% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalRuddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
Photo: Original: neekoh.fi; this edit: MPF, CC BY 2.0
5% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalSandwich TernSterna sandvicensis
Photo: Stanley Davis, CC BY
5% of its observations here fall in these weeks

Where to watch today

Forecast wind at San García, 10:00–16:00

16km/h from the W

Gusts

37 km/h

Moderate poniente: crossing in the east

A westerly shifts the passage east. Soaring birds approach the sea between Algeciras, Punta Carnero and Gibraltar, and cross towards Ceuta and Jbel Musa.

Watchpoint: Algarrobo and Punta Carnero

Forecast for Wednesday 9 September, Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). A reading, not a prediction of passage.

Seen these days

No open observations within 0.5 km in the last 14 days.

iNaturalist, research grade and CC0 or CC BY licence; the date is that of the observation, not the upload.

All the species of the site

One list with both sources: the open GBIF and OBIS observations within 0.5 km, which say how many times and when, and the Port Authority's field records, which say it was seen here and with what presence. First those with both kinds of evidence; then those only observed, by number of observations; last, those only recorded in the field.

130 bird species130 with open observations1 recorded in the field

Greater Flamingo4 obs. · recorded in the field · Resident
Yellow-legged Gull255 obs.
Common Blackbird229 obs.
House Sparrow215 obs.
Sardinian Warbler174 obs.
Ruddy Turnstone162 obs.
Spotless Starling145 obs.
European Goldfinch142 obs.
Great Cormorant137 obs.
Barn Swallow135 obs.
Eurasian Collared Dove134 obs.
Sandwich Tern132 obs.
European Greenfinch123 obs.
Common Stonechat119 obs.
Zitting Cisticola112 obs.
Black Redstart103 obs.
Whimbrel100 obs.
Eurasian Blackcap99 obs.
Common Chiffchaff98 obs.
European Robin96 obs.
Ringed Plover91 obs.
Common House Martin88 obs.
Meadow Pipit81 obs.
Black-headed Gull68 obs.
Pallid Swift67 obs.
Northern Gannet55 obs.
Little Egret53 obs.
Common Kestrel53 obs.
Rock Dove50 obs.
Eurasian Crag Martin43 obs.
White Wagtail39 obs.
Calidris maritima37 obs.
Grey Heron35 obs.
Grey Wagtail35 obs.
Common Sandpiper33 obs.
European Serin32 obs.
Black Kite30 obs.
Common Swift27 obs.
Common Linnet27 obs.
Griffon Vulture26 obs.
Osprey26 obs.
Common Kingfisher25 obs.
Corn Bunting25 obs.
Booted Eagle24 obs.
European Shag23 obs.
Short-toed Snake Eagle22 obs.
Sanderling21 obs.
Woodchat Shrike21 obs.
Lesser Black-backed Gull20 obs.
Mediterranean Gull18 obs.
Common Nightingale18 obs.
Common Starling18 obs.
Eurasian (African) Blue Tit17 obs.
Cetti’s Warbler14 obs.
European Bee-eater14 obs.
Audouin´s Gull13 obs.
Spotted Flycatcher12 obs.
Northern Wheatear12 obs.
Grey Plover12 obs.
Crested Lark10 obs.
Eurasian Oystercatcher10 obs.
European Honey Buzzard10 obs.
White Stork9 obs.
Common Chaffinch9 obs.
Eurasian Curlew9 obs.
Razorbill8 obs.
Red-throated Loon8 obs.
Red-breasted Merganser8 obs.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk7 obs.
Cattle Egret7 obs.
Dunlin7 obs.
Subalpine Warbler7 obs.
Great Tit7 obs.
Hoopoe7 obs.
Black Stork6 obs.
Lesser Kestrel6 obs.
Willow Warbler6 obs.
Song Thrush6 obs.
Eurasian Reed Warbler5 obs.
Peregrine Falcon5 obs.
Eurasian Hobby5 obs.
Blue Rock Thrush5 obs.
Common Whitethroat5 obs.
Red-necked Nightjar4 obs.
Westhern Marsh Harrier4 obs.
Egyptian Vulture4 obs.
Eurasian Siskin4 obs.
Mallard3 obs.
Gull-billed Tern3 obs.
Eurasian Wryneck3 obs.
Black-Crowned Night Heron3 obs.
Common Redstart3 obs.
Glossy Ibis3 obs.
Pied Avocet3 obs.
Winter Wren3 obs.
Montagu´s Harrier2 obs.
Cirl Bunting2 obs.
Black-winged Stilt2 obs.
Melodious Warbler2 obs.
Motacilla flava2 obs.
Black-eared Wheatear2 obs.
Sand Martin2 obs.
Tawny Owl2 obs.
Garden Warbler2 obs.
Alpine Swift2 obs.
EuSkylark1 obs.
Euroasian Rock Pipit1 obs.
Water Pipit1 obs.
Little Owl1 obs.
Eurasian Stone Curlew1 obs.
Common Buzzard1 obs.
Short-toed Lark1 obs.
Rock Bunting1 obs.
Eleonora’s Falcon1 obs.
European Pied Flycatcher1 obs.
Common Moorhen1 obs.
Red Kite1 obs.
Western Bonelli´s Warbler1 obs.
Phylloscopus ibericus1 obs.
Common Magpie1 obs.
European Golden Plover1 obs.
Dunnock1 obs.
Psittacula krameri1 obs.
Balearic Shearwater1 obs.
Northern Shoveler1 obs.
Parasitic Jaeger1 obs.
Great Skua1 obs.
Little Tern1 obs.
Western Orphean Warbler1 obs.
Common Shelduck1 obs.

A species recorded in the field with no open observation is not doubtful: it means nobody has published it under an open licence from this point. One with hundreds of observations and no field record is not either: the guide is not exhaustive. APBA bird guide (PDF, in Spanish)

The ones that define the place

Species more concentrated here than in the rest of the Strait: their share of observations at the place divided by their share across the whole area. An index of 3 means three times more frequent here than expected.

Most observed birds

Birds with 30 or more open records within the site radius. It measures observation effort as well as presence.

Each species' line is its weekly distribution here; the vertical tick is the current week.

The place's calendar

21 %

Monthly distribution of the open observations within about 0.5 km of the point.

Protection

Important Bird Area (IBA)

Outside every IBA in the inventory.

Inventory kept by SEO/BirdLife within BirdLife International's IBA programme. It is not a legal protection status, but it carries weight in impact assessments and in court.

Natura 2000 network

The point is not inside any Natura 2000 site.

How to watch

The colonies of Isla Verde and the Isla de las Palomas are watched from a distance. Binoculars and telescope, no approach.
No drones over islands, breakwaters or docks: they scare the birds and are forbidden in the port domain without authorisation.

Other places

CC0 and CC BY records from GBIF and OBIS in the own database, deduplicated, within about 0.5 km of the point. Natura 2000 sites from the European Environment Agency. Protection designations as currently in force; no legal value. 9 September 2026.