Next to the Atlantic Ocean and at the western tip of Europe, Portugal sits at the centre of a favouredight path for many species of migratory birds - theEast Atlantic Flyway, which links the birds’ breeding grounds in northern Europe with their wintering areas in the Mediterranean basin or on the African continent. At the same time, its location at one of the geographic extremes of the Mediterranean Sea, where is it easiest to cross this broad body of water, means that it is possible to observe on Portuguese soil thousands of birds that seasonally use another important migratory corridor - the Mediterranean and Black Sea Flyway. This is an important route for gliding birds that depend on the thermal currents that form over the land, such as birds of prey or storks.
In addition to this, the climate of the Iberian andMacaronesian regions (such as the archipelagos ofthe Azores and Madeira), during the autumn and winter, is much milder and/or more humid than the other potential wintering locations, providing ideal conditions for shelter and a greater availability offood (such as late berries and fruits such as olives)for many species that winter here, in particular small- and medium-sized birds such as passerines. In this issue, we celebrate the diversity of migratory passerine birds, living links between European territories and countries as distant as Iceland,Norway, Russia and Portugal. In each iconographicgroup, we have selected a species that shows migratory populations in a European context, and another with populations that are markedly resident, or even endemic, in certain Portuguese regions, with both species occurring in the landscapes depicted.
MAINLAND PORTUGAL
The Sado Estuary Natural Reserve is one of themost important wetland areas in Portugal and a vital site for many migratory and wintering species.This is the case for the bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), a rare bird throughout the year except in winter, when it shares reed and rush beds that grow on the
The bluethroat is a migratory bird that commonlywinters on the Portuguese mainland, more speci callyin the wetlands of coastal zones such as the estuariesof the rivers Tagus and Sado and at Ria Formosa,where it feeds on small invertebrates. Occurring on the Portuguese mainland are the subspecies namnetum(from western Europe) and cyanecula (from CentralEurope), distinguished by the small white patch amongst the blue plumage on the breast.
The robin is a resident nesting bird that is very common in a large part of the mainland territory, especially in the more coastal regions of the centre and north of the country; in the south of the country it tends to seek terrain with more uneven topography and a more humid micro-climate, such as riparian forests and cool woodlands. From the end of September, the resident birds are joined by migratory populations from all over Europe(including Russia), which return to their nestinggrounds from February onwards.
