El Hondo Natural Park, close to the Natural Park of the lagoons of La Mata and Torrevieja and the Salinas of Santa Pola, integrate the triangle lagoon of South of Alicante. A set of crucial importance for the development of biological cycles of numerous species of birds.
Therefore, as in Las Lagunas of La Mata and Torrevieja, in El Hondo there are hiking and birdwatching outputs all the year.
Of the many species of birds, highlight the shelduck and the white-headed duck. Although there are also large abundance of herons in the breeding season, especially the gray heron.
– Common Shelduck: a bird with a peculiar aspect, halfway between the duck and goose, which inhabits estuaries and shores of saline lakes.
– Purple Swamphen: Extravagant rooster that feeds on meneas and reed. Like the shelduck, is one of the many species that can be seen at any time of year.
– Grey Heron: an elegant and large ardeida. Presents a stylized figure, long neck and a grayish color tones.
– Western Marsh Harrier: undoubtedly the great predator of the marsh. It is a hawk with great wings and long tail. The male is light brown and the female a darker brown rust. Generally it feeds on frogs, young birds, small mammals and insects.
– White-Headed Duck: Waterfowl endangered. El Hondo Natural Park is one of the few places where nests.
– Booted Eagle: bird of prey. Like the Western Marsh Harrier, he can only be observed in certain months of the year. In this case, from September to February.
More information on the website of the Generalitat Valenciana.