Manuel Morales Holgado
Birding Tarifa
Manuel Morales Holgado. Birding Tarifa
Article and images
When the days start getting shorter, the rains begin
to fall, and autumn turns fields from brown to green,
most migratory birds have already completed the
journey to the African continent. But does that mean
the bird migration has ended?
At this time of the year, several things transpire
in the Straits of Gibraltar, indicating that although
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the autumn period is entering its final stages, the
birds continue to come and go, using this place as a
connecting link between the two continents and be-
tween the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
During this time of year, a remarkable phenome-
non that is spectacular to observe sees huge flocks
of hundreds and even thousands of griffon vultures
OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
circling in unison in ascending air currents, attemp-
ting to reach greater heights to cross into the African
continent.
This behaviour, which until recently was a mys-
tery to ornithologists, occurs between the months of
October and December, and is part of the annual mi-
gration of juvenile griffon vultures born in Spain, Por-
OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
tugal and France; whose main objective is to cross
the Straits to feed on the vast amounts of carrion in
the African Sahel.
Also, it is at this precise time when the chances of
observing the scarce black vulture are at its highest
throughout the year, since they accompany the gri-
ffon vultures on their migratory journey to the south.
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