A version of this blog was originally published online on the Birdguides website (02/01/2022). Summary  On 3rd December 2021, Fundación Migres ringed and GPS-tagged a White-backed Vulture, a vagrant to Europe and the first one to be ringed and tagged in Europe. The occurrence of this species here – alongside the increased incidence of Rüppell’s Vulture in The Straits – is extremely interesting.  Both species are Critically Endangered in their usual sub-Saharan range. It is hypothesised that the increase in Eurasian Griffon Vulture numbers in Europe may be at least partly responsible ..read more

Another season has passed us by, and from 5th May 2021 to 5th December 2021 Fundación Migres has once again been monitoring the passage of migratory birds through here at The Straits of Gibraltar. For our small part we helped with the counts whenever we could for this important programme, which has been running since 1997. Together we counted 521,000 soaring migratory birds including 151,300 White and Black Storks and 369,700 raptors of 37 different species! Black Stork © Inglorious Bustards Additionally 443,300 passerine migrants were counted, including 197,000 Finches, 87,500 hirundines, 83 ..read more

Juvenile Black Kite © Inglorious Bustards For the sheer spectacle of the Black Kite migration, August in The Straits is hard to beat!  Those of you who follow our social media will have seen the indescribably large numbers passing through Tarifa during those days. “Swirling masses”, “breath-taking spectacle”, “skies literally full” – the superlatives dry up long before the torrent of birds!  There are not really words or images that can fully describe what it´s like to watch 50,000 raptors pass over in a week – 18,000 in a single day – as we did! And then massive numbers again the ne ..read more

A Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin keeping its tail in tip top condition © Inglorious Bustards Whether you call it the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, the Rufous Bush-chat, the Rufous-tailed Bush Robin or maybe even the Rufous-tailed Scrub-Bush Robin-Chat, one thing that we can all agree on is that this little bird is a stunner. The Spanish name Alzacola – meaning “lift-tail” – is arguably more descriptive than the plethora of available English names!  The dazzling, distinctive pattern of this bird’s frequently displayed tail is a large part of what gives it its charm. Peering through the o ..read more

In July 2020, Niki completed the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)´s training course in Sustainable Tourism delivery.  This excellent learning programme gives a full understanding of GSTC´s Sustainability Criteria and how to apply them appropriately to a tourism business or organisation of any size or scope. Migrating Black Stork crossing The Straits – Sustainability in what we do ultimately helps migrant birds and their habitats © Inglorious Bustards It teaches the importance of having a sustainability reporting and management system in place, to make sustainability achievements ..read more

We’re all pretty sick of travel restrictions by now, for sure. Well today, for Black Kites at least, they were finally lifted! After ten days of strong easterlies, overcast conditions and heavy rain around The Straits of Gibraltar, the meteorological ´border´ finally opened for the most spectacular day so far of 2021´s spring migration! Black Kites incoming! © Inglorious Bustards Since early February we´ve been seeing brave attempts by plucky raptors to cross The Straits towards their northerly breeding grounds.  Driven on by the desire to grab the best territory, numerous Black Kites, S ..read more

Migratory birds don’t recognise borders, and finding out where they are passing through, and going to and from is vital not only to understand the threats and areas for conservation but also to bring to life the epic story of migration. Flyway-scale conservation and funding must be driven by good science, wise spending and cross-border, holistic conservation.  Ecotourism has a part to play here and that is why we developed our #FlywayPromise  and the concept of #FlywayBirding – directly experiencing the magic of migration, further understanding the its perils, and directly contributi ..read more

“Cranes are the stuff of magic, whose voices penetrate the atmosphere of the world’s wilderness areas, from arctic tundra to the South African veld, and whose footprints have been left on the wetlands of the world for the past 60 million years or more” Andalucía is an important wintering and stopover point for migrating Common Cranes, so in winter we are often lucky enough to be surrounded by the magical, musical voices which Paul A Johnsgard speaks of in the above quote. As a small part of our commitment to our Flyway Promise conservation effort (and because we love Cranes!) we´ve been spendi ..read more

For All Souls Day,  friend and colleague Eddi – the original Culture Vulture on the Inglorious Bustards team – reflects on a recent trip to experience the awe-inspiring Griffon Vulture migration, and gain understanding of their liminal nature in local lore… The Strait of Gibraltar last Saturday morning was calm, suspended between us and Morocco. A calm day perfect for the Griffon Vulture migration, but the skies were empty. Then, like some blessing from birders’ heaven, we found ourselves in the flight path of up to three thousand Vultures. Catching the thermals, they spiralled up before ..read more

This week, along with our friends and conservation partners at Fundación Migres, we counted just a handful of European Honey Buzzards crossing The Straits of Gibraltar on their migratory journey.  Picked out from amongst thousands of Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, Black Storks and Griffon Vultures, each one of these gorgeous birds merited close attention to their detailed and variable plumage.  Not least because at this point of the year, we never know which one will be the last we’ll see until Spring! Adult female (old?) European Honey Buzzard eyes up Africa ..read more