SeasonalRinged PloverCharadrius hiaticulaPhoto: Вячеслав Юсупов, CC BY
Places › Northern shore · Cliffs
Flysch of the Strait
Algeciras · 36.08° N, 5.43° W
The cliffs between Getares and Punta Carnero, where the Algeciras flysch shows its history edge-on: over a thousand metres of alternating grey marls and brown sandstones, laid down by turbidity currents between 37 and 22 million years ago and now uplifted facing the Strait. A Site of Geological Interest listed by the Spanish Geological Survey (AND157). Walked along the shore at low tide, between the wave-cut platform and the cliff; seabirds on passage, cormorants and rock thrushes on the walls, and soaring birds over the cape in spring.
- 192
- bird species
- 1975–2026
- first and last open record
within about 1.5 km · Natural Earth cartography, public domain
90 % of the records are from 2016 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.
- SeasonalRinged PloverCharadrius hiaticula
28% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalBlack-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusPhoto: Alexis Lours, CC BY
18% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalRuddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPhoto: Original: neekoh.fi; this edit: MPF, CC BY 2.0
17% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalAudouin´s GullLarus audouiniiPhoto: Diego González Dopico, CC BY
17% of its observations here fall in these weeks
ResidentCrested LarkGalerida cristataPhoto: Koshy Koshy, CC BY
14% of its observations here fall in these weeks
ResidentZitting CisticolaCisticola juncidisPhoto: Morhaf kamal aljanee, CC BY-SA 4.0
14% of its observations here fall in these weeks
ResidentGrey HeronArdea cinereaPhoto: Frank Sengpiel, CC BY
12% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalWhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPhoto: Pierre Dalous, CC BY-SA
12% of its observations here fall in these weeks
Where to watch today
Forecast wind at Flysch, 10:00–16:00
9km/h from the SW
Gusts
30 km/h
Light 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 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.
European Shag×19.8
Eurasian Hobby×5.2
Black Stork×4.2- Sandwich Tern×3.7
Osprey×3.5
Winter Wren×3.5- Whimbrel×3.5
Common Nightingale×3.2
Most observed birds
Birds with 30 or more open records within the site radius. It measures observation effort as well as presence.
- Yellow-legged Gull891
Black Kite724- Sardinian Warbler682
- Booted Eagle670
Short-toed Snake Eagle634
Common Kestrel575
Barn Swallow554
Northern Gannet525
Each species' line is its weekly distribution here; the vertical tick is the current week.
The place's calendar
J
F
38 %
MA
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Protection
- Parque Natural del Estrecho
- Reserva de la Biosfera Intercontinental del Mediterráneo
- Lugar de Interés Geológico AND157 (IGME)
Important Bird Area (IBA)
- Tarifaterrestrial · 8,041 ha · ES246
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
The cliffs between Getares and Punta Carnero, where the Algeciras flysch shows its history edge-on: over a thousand metres of alternating grey marls and brown sandstones, laid down by turbidity currents between 37 and 22 million years ago and now uplifted facing the Strait. A Site of Geological Interest listed by the Spanish Geological Survey (AND157). Walked along the shore at low tide, between the wave-cut platform and the cliff; seabirds on passage, cormorants and rock thrushes on the walls, and soaring birds over the cape in spring.
- 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
- Cazalla
- Isla de las Palomas
- Los Lances
- Punta Carnero
- Algarrobo
- Palmones
- Isla Verde
- Getares
- Sierra de la Plata
- La Janda
- Punta Cires
- Jbel Musa
- Ceuta
- Cabo Espartel
CC0 and CC BY records from GBIF and OBIS in the own database, deduplicated, within about 1.5 km of the point. Natura 2000 sites from the European Environment Agency. Protection designations as currently in force; no legal value. 8 September 2026.