Places › Northern shore · Island

Isla de las Palomas

Tarifa · 36.00° N, 5.61° W

The southernmost point of mainland Europe, joined to Tarifa by an isthmus. It is the Strait's seabird watchpoint: shearwaters, gannets, skuas and terns pass within telescope range. Access to the island itself is restricted; watch from the isthmus and the promenade.

257
bird species: 1957–2026
first and last open record

See the place in the explorer

within about 1.5 km · Natural Earth cartography, public domain

90 % of the records are from 2012 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 1.5 km of the point by ISO week, all years added up. The current week is outlined.

VagrantHouse BuntingEmberiza sahari
Photo: El Golli Mohamed, CC BY-SA 4.0
97% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalEuropean Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
Photo: Sem Khatov, CC BY
44% of its observations here fall in these weeks
ResidentCetti’s WarblerCettia cetti
Photo: Donald Davesne, CC BY
35% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalHoopoeUpupa epops
Photo: Luiz Lapa, CC BY
31% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalMontagu´s HarrierCircus pygargus
Photo: Вячеслав Юсупов, CC BY
29% of its observations here fall in these weeks
MigrantEuropean Honey BuzzardPernis apivorus
Photo: Alidz31, CC BY
29% of its observations here fall in these weeks
MigrantBlack StorkCiconia nigra
Photo: Zinogre, CC BY-SA
27% of its observations here fall in these weeks
SeasonalEgyptian VultureNeophron percnopterus
Photo: Kudaibergen Amirekul, CC BY-SA
25% of its observations here fall in these weeks

Where to watch today

Forecast wind at Isla de las Palomas, 10:00–16:00

7km/h from the SW

Gusts

20 km/h

Calm: crossing along the whole front

With no dominant wind, soaring birds cross at any point between Tarifa and Gibraltar as soon as the thermals rise. It is the most spread-out day and the most comfortable for watching.

Watchpoint: Any; Cazalla and Algarrobo cover both ends

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.

Calidris maritima×15.0
Balearic Shearwater×13.1
Atlantic Puffin×12.3
Black-legged Kittiwake×11.8
Common Scoter×11.4
Pomarine Skua×10.3
Razorbill×10.2
Northern Gannet×9.7

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

14 %

Monthly distribution of the open observations within about 1.5 km of the point.

Protection

Parque Natural del Estrecho
Reserva de la Biosfera Intercontinental del Mediterráneo

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 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 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.