{"id":323365,"date":"2024-05-01T12:17:30","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T10:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/the-10-most-spectacular-birding-areas-in-the-world"},"modified":"2024-05-03T16:17:36","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T14:17:36","slug":"the-10-most-spectacular-birding-areas-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/blog\/inspiration\/the-10-most-spectacular-birding-areas-in-the-world","title":{"rendered":"The 10 most spectacular birding areas in the world"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>The most beautiful destinations for bird lovers<\/h2>\n<p>May is the month of the great bird migration, when many birds return to Europe from their wintering grounds in Africa and elsewhere. Dozens of migratory bird species land on Texel, but many wintering birds also arrive in the rest of our continent. In Europe and beyond, there are wonderful places to watch special birds all year round. Like in Colombia, with the largest number of bird species in the world or along the coasts of northwestern Europe, where funny puffins are popping up everywhere. So in this blog, some of the world&#8217;s most spectacular birding spots, <em>Where the world can&#8217;t find you.<\/em>&#8230;<\/p>\n<h2>1. Los Llanos &#8211; Colombia<\/h2>\n<p>Perhaps the very best destination for bird lovers is Colombia. The country has the most bird species in the world: a whopping 1,900! This is nearly 20 percent of the world&#8217;s bird species, including many endemic species and migratory birds. Although the Red Ibis and Andean Rockcock are the most iconic species, you can also discover hundreds of species of Hummingbird, Flycatcher and Tanager in the vast tropical rainforests and Andean mountains. A sample wildlife &amp; birding trip can be found <a href=\"\/?continent_category=rondreis-wildlife-colombia\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_322921\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-322921\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-322920 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/52737317996_c0a5a426cb_k-e1714677455105.jpg\" alt=\"Andean of the Rock - Credits: Andy Reago &amp; Chrissy McClarren\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/52737317996_c0a5a426cb_k-e1714677455105.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/52737317996_c0a5a426cb_k-e1714677455105-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/52737317996_c0a5a426cb_k-e1714677455105-1403x790.jpg 1403w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-322921\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andean of the Rock &#8211; Credits: Andy Reago &amp; Chrissy McClarren<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>2. Hokkaido &#8211; Japan<\/h2>\n<p>In the far north of Japan, Hokkaido is the winter home of magnificent Chinese Cranes and large flocks of Steller&#8217;s Sea Eagles. Cruise among the melting ice floes to take breathtaking photos; this is nature at its best! A sample birding trip to Japan can be found <a href=\"\/?continent_category=rondreis-japanse-alpen-en-hokkaido\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_322907\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-322907\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-322906 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kraanvogels-scaled-e1714677479529.jpg\" alt=\"Chinese Cranes\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kraanvogels-scaled-e1714677479529.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kraanvogels-scaled-e1714677479529-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Kraanvogels-scaled-e1714677479529-1402x790.jpg 1402w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-322907\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chinese Cranes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>3. Extremadura &#8211; Spain<\/h2>\n<p>Located in <a href=\"\/?continent_category=extremadura-salamanca\">Extremadura<\/a>, one of the most important raptor regions in Europe, the Monfrag\u00fce National Park is an absolute must-see. In this bird-rich area with spectacular landscapes, look for many vulture species, such as the Griffon Vulture and the Monk Vulture. Extremadura is also known for the Little Bustard, the Great Bustard and birds of prey such as the Imperial Eagle and Hawk Eagle.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_322913\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-322913\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-322912 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/roberto-navarro-b_KtH3ZOA0w-unsplash-scaled-e1714677561231.jpg\" alt=\"Vulture - Credits: Robert Navarro\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/roberto-navarro-b_KtH3ZOA0w-unsplash-scaled-e1714677561231.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/roberto-navarro-b_KtH3ZOA0w-unsplash-scaled-e1714677561231-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/roberto-navarro-b_KtH3ZOA0w-unsplash-scaled-e1714677561231-1402x790.jpg 1402w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-322913\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vulture &#8211; Credits: Robert Navarro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>4. Kerkini &#8211; Greece<\/h2>\n<p>Lake Kerkini, among the high mountains in northeastern <a href=\"\/?continent_category=selfdrive-noord-griekenland\">Greece<\/a>, is home to hundreds of bird species. Especially the huge colony of crucian pelicans attracts attention here, but many heron species can also be seen in addition. The Danube Delta in Romania is also home to many crucian pelicans. Many crucian pelicans are also found in the <a href=\"\/?continent_category=donaudelta\">Danube Delta<\/a> in Romania.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_322909\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-322909\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-322908 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/birger-strahl-0Om-BfPwvOw-unsplash-scaled-e1714677589794.jpg\" alt=\"Crucian Pelican\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/birger-strahl-0Om-BfPwvOw-unsplash-scaled-e1714677589794.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/birger-strahl-0Om-BfPwvOw-unsplash-scaled-e1714677589794-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/birger-strahl-0Om-BfPwvOw-unsplash-scaled-e1714677589794-1404x790.jpg 1404w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-322909\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crucian Pelican<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>5. Costa Rica<\/h2>\n<p>With as many as 878 bird species, Costa Rica is &#8220;must-see&#8221; for any bird lover. Look for typical Costa Rican bird species such as the quetzal, the endangered Buffalo Macaw, the endemic Mangrove Amazilia, Copperhead Emerald Hummingbird, Manakin and many species of parrots and toucans. Of course, there is much more to see along the way: howler monkeys, the sloth, red-eyed macaque frog, emerald basilisk and many colorful poison dart frogs and iguanas. This <a href=\"\/?continent_category=birding-in-costa-rica\">birding trip<\/a> to Costa Rica is great for any bird lover.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_323311\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-323311\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-323310 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Birds-13-scaled-e1714677613381.jpg\" alt=\"Quetzal\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Birds-13-scaled-e1714677613381.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Birds-13-scaled-e1714677613381-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Birds-13-scaled-e1714677613381-1402x790.jpg 1402w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-323311\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Quetzal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>6. St. Kilda &#8211; United Kingdom<\/h2>\n<p>Puffins are found on many rocky coasts of northwestern Europe. The remote St. However, Kilda has not only the largest colony of Atlantic puffins (nearly one million), but also the largest colony of Gannets and the extremely rare St. Lawrence. Kilda wren. You can also find large colonies of puffins in Iceland and Norway; the most accessible spot is near the Farne Islands, on the border between England and Scotland. Rent a boat and cruise among the many impressive colonies. This <a href=\"\/?continent_category=luxe-cruise-ijsland-en-de-britse-eilanden\">cruise<\/a> is very interesting for the bird lover and visits St. Petersburg, among others. Kilda.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_322911\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-322911\" style=\"width: 2363px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-322910 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/bernd-dittrich-1n8RS2WGbrM-unsplash-scaled-e1714677677562.jpg\" alt=\"Puffin\" width=\"2363\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/bernd-dittrich-1n8RS2WGbrM-unsplash-scaled-e1714677677562.jpg 2363w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/bernd-dittrich-1n8RS2WGbrM-unsplash-scaled-e1714677677562-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/bernd-dittrich-1n8RS2WGbrM-unsplash-scaled-e1714677677562-1403x790.jpg 1403w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2363px) 100vw, 2363px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-322911\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Puffin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>7. Kafue and Lochinvar N.P. &#8211; Zambia<\/h2>\n<p>Located on the plains of Kafue in Zambia,<a href=\"\/?continent_category=kafue-lonchinvar-nationaal-park\"> Lochinvar N.P.<\/a> is a true bird paradise with hundreds, most endemic bird species. Also, this is the habitat of the rare Kafue Lechwe, which you can spot during walking safaris and impressive tours by mokoro.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-323316 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Owl-scaled-e1714677354266.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Owl-scaled-e1714677354266.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Owl-scaled-e1714677354266-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Owl-scaled-e1714677354266-1402x790.jpg 1402w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>8. Texel &#8211; Netherlands<\/h2>\n<p>Texel is the bird island par excellence with hundreds of, often rare species. The island is the ideal place is a stopover for migratory birds on their annual faraway journey. Because of the nutrient-rich mudflats, many birds also come to nest. Bird-watching huts with views of nesting or foraging birds are located in several places on Texel.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_323319\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-323319\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-323318 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/maurice-prins-k2IiPQ7B4KE-unsplash-scaled-e1714677320351.jpg\" alt=\"Credits: Maurice Prince\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/maurice-prins-k2IiPQ7B4KE-unsplash-scaled-e1714677320351.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/maurice-prins-k2IiPQ7B4KE-unsplash-scaled-e1714677320351-600x337.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/maurice-prins-k2IiPQ7B4KE-unsplash-scaled-e1714677320351-1407x790.jpg 1407w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-323319\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Credits: Maurice Prince<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>9. Phobjikha Valley &#8211; Bhutan<\/h2>\n<p>In the beautiful <a href=\"\/?continent_category=valleien\">Phobjikha Valley<\/a> with the backdrop of the Black Mountains, the rare Black-necked Crane comes to winter annually from Tibet. Gangtey Monastery is the scene of the annual Blackneck Crane festival, as the bird plays an important role in the myths and legends of the valley. A visit to the crane center is not to be missed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_323325\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-323325\" style=\"width: 1536px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-323324 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Bhutan-Gangtey-Phobjikha-Black-Necked_Cranes-1223448931-1536x864-1.jpg\" alt=\"Black-necked crane\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Bhutan-Gangtey-Phobjikha-Black-Necked_Cranes-1223448931-1536x864-1.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Bhutan-Gangtey-Phobjikha-Black-Necked_Cranes-1223448931-1536x864-1-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Bhutan-Gangtey-Phobjikha-Black-Necked_Cranes-1223448931-1536x864-1-1404x790.jpg 1404w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-323325\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Black-necked crane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>10. The Gambia River<\/h2>\n<p>The Gambia is known as one of the best countries for birdwatchers. The small country has a huge concentration of bird species. In addition to the many African species, many migratory birds also come to winter from Europe. In addition to many heron species, along the river are many birds of prey, such as the Bateleur, Crested eagle and African bald eagle and the dark song hawk but also Turacos, Weavers and Senegalese cuckoos.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_323360\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-323360\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-323359 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/vijayalakshmi-nidugondi-un6AqcLoRZ0-unsplash-scaled-e1714681427476.jpg\" alt=\"Turaco\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/vijayalakshmi-nidugondi-un6AqcLoRZ0-unsplash-scaled-e1714681427476.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/vijayalakshmi-nidugondi-un6AqcLoRZ0-unsplash-scaled-e1714681427476-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/vijayalakshmi-nidugondi-un6AqcLoRZ0-unsplash-scaled-e1714681427476-1402x790.jpg 1402w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-323360\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Turaco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Other birding areas<\/h2>\n<p>Of course, there are many more beautiful birding spots in this world to explore, but with a top-1o, one has to make choices. In Asia, consider Keoladeo National Park in India, for example, or West Papua with its famous Cassoaris bird, Birds of Paradise. Africa also includes many parks in Tanzania and South Africa. But the polar regions are also very interesting for bird lovers: Spitsbergen, but also <a href=\"\/?continent_category=zuid-georgia\">South Georgia<\/a>, for example, with gigantic colonies of king penguins.<\/p>\n<div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_7c0b1173 has_text_color\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h4><\/h4>\n<h4 style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Endemic species<\/h4>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Endemics are species found only in a particular area and nowhere else. Often this is due to a natural barrier, such as a sea, river or mountain range. Such a barrier has prevented the species from expanding. Many endemic species are therefore often seen on islands. Well-known examples are Madagascar, New Zealand and Australia.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A list of the best travel destinations for bird lovers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":310,"featured_media":322905,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[592],"tags":[],"blog_category":[283],"country":[],"continent_category":[],"class_list":["post-323365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration","blog_category-wildlife-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/310"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=323365"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":323421,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323365\/revisions\/323421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/322905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=323365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=323365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=323365"},{"taxonomy":"blog_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog_category?post=323365"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=323365"},{"taxonomy":"continent_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.untamedtravelling.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/continent_category?post=323365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}