Places › Northern shore · Mountains

Sierra de la Plata

Tarifa · 36.10° N, 5.76° W

Cliffs above Bolonia with a griffon vulture colony and cliff-nesting raptors. Watch from the Bolonia road and the marked paths, without approaching the cliffs: nest locations are not published.

225
bird species: 1973–2026
first and last open record

See the place in the explorer

within about 2.5 km · Natural Earth cartography, public domain

90 % of the records are from 2015 onwards.

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 2.5 km of the point by ISO week, all years added up. The current week is outlined.

MigrantWillow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
Photo: Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5
60% of its observations here fall in these weeks
MigrantEuropean Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
Photo: ViiruPesonen, CC BY-SA
55% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalAlpine SwiftApus melba
Photo: Paul F Donald, CC BY-SA
54% of its observations here fall in these weeks
MigrantCommon RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
Photo: Сергей Неклюдов, CC BY
49% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalCory’s ShearwaterCalonectris diomedea
Photo: Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, CC BY
49% of its observations here fall in these weeks
MigrantEuropean Honey BuzzardPernis apivorus
Photo: Alidz31, CC BY
46% of its observations here fall in these weeks
MigrantBlack StorkCiconia nigra
Photo: Zinogre, CC BY-SA
44% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalOspreyPandion haliaetus
Photo: froggymum, CC BY
43% of its observations here fall in these weeks

Where to watch today

Forecast wind at Sierra de la Plata, 10:00–16:00

8km/h from the SW

Gusts

22 km/h

Light wind from a variable direction

With no clear easterly or westerly regime, the crossing point is decided hour by hour. It pays to watch how the day develops before choosing where to be.

Watchpoint: Cazalla, for its view over the whole front

Forecast for Tuesday 8 September, Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). A reading, not a prediction of passage.

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

22 %

Monthly distribution of the open observations within about 2.5 km of the point.

Protection

Parque Natural del Estrecho
Reserva de la Biosfera Intercontinental del Mediterráneo

Important Bird Area (IBA)

Sierra de la Plataterrestrial · 5,028 ha · ES248

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

EstrechoLIC / ZEC y ZEPA · ES0000337

How to watch

Cliffs above Bolonia with a griffon vulture colony and cliff-nesting raptors. Watch from the Bolonia road and the marked paths, without approaching the cliffs: nest locations are not published.

The colonies on Isla Verde and Isla de las Palomas are watched from a distance. Binoculars and telescope, no approach.
No drones over islands, breakwaters or docks: they flush 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 2.5 km of the point. Natura 2000 sites from the European Environment Agency. Protection designations as currently in force; no legal value. 8 September 2026.