The Hecho Valley and around is renowned as possibly the best birdwatching destination in the Pyrenees with a big variety of different habitats - from high alpine meadows and forests to semi desert steppe - within a small area (all within 1 hours drive from Hecho). Our birding guide will help you locate some fantastic species including the elusive Wallcreeper! All year but April, May, June are the best months for birding.

Guided Birding
One or more full days birding with birding guide, minibus transport to the birding spots, excellent picnic.

Price: for groups of up to 8 people 1 day £90.00, 3 days £243.00

Below are some of the excursions we offer and a list of the birds to be seen. Each excursion is to a different habitat with its characteristic species. Please call or e-mail us if you have any questions or special requirements.

Excursion 1

Excursion 2

Excursion 3

Click here for a bird list of a week's birding with Alto Aragón. Many thanks to top birders Ray, Philip and Avril Hack for this.

HECHO VALLEY AND AROUND
HABITAT: (Altitude: 800 - 2000 METRES) Alpine pasture, limestone cliffs, pine forest, beech and silver fir forest. In a special bird protection zone.

Lammergeier
Griffon Vulture
Egyptian Vulture
Golden Eagle
Short Toed Eagle
Goshawk
Honey Buzzard
Wallcreeper
Black Woodpecker
Ring Ouzel
Chough
Alpine Chough
Alpine Accentor
Alpine Swift
Crag Martin
Rock Bunting
Crested Tit
Black Redstart
Red-backed Shrike
Citril Finch
Water Pipit
Rock Thrush

ALONG THE RIVER ARAGÓN
HABITAT: (Altitude: 600 METRES) Poplar trees, marshy, reedy areas, arable fields, almond orchards, holm and deciduous oak woodland.

Booted Eagle
Red Kite
Black Kite
Bee-eater
Golden Oriole
Hoopoe
Roller
Cirl Bunting
Sand Martin

RIGLOS, RIO GALLEGO, LA SOTONERA RIGLOS & RIVER GÁLLEGO
HABITAT: (Altitude: 500 - 700 METRES) Dry foothill scenery cliffs, garrigue (mediterranean scrub), olive and almond orchards, holm oak, pine woods. River Gállego - reed beds, arable land, dry scrub.

Griffon Vulture
Lammergeier
Crag Martin
Black Wheatear
Black-eared Wheatear
Blue Rock Thrush
Woodlark
Dartford Warbler
Subalpine Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Orphean Warbler
Bonelli's Warbler
Melodious Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Marsh Harrier
Peregrine Falcon

LA SOTONERA
HABITAT: (Altitude: 400 METRES) dry steppe, arable fields, holm oak, reservoir.

White Stork
Purple Heron
Cattle Egret
Little Owl
Tern (Whiskered & Black Tern)
Black-bellied Sandgrouse
Montagu's Harrier
Marsh Harrier

Grey Heron
Singles on the 22nd, 25th and 27th flying over the Hecho valley.

Mallard
Single male on the 25th on the Subordan river in the Hecho valley.

Black Kite
Many on the 21st, 25th and 27th, mainly in the lower Hecho valley.

Red Kite
Many on the 22nd to 27th, mainly in the upper Hecho valley.

Lammergeier
One to two adults on the 22nd to 24th, 26th and 27th in the Gabardito area, the Linza valley and the Guarrinza valley.

Egyptian Vulture
Mostly one to two adults on the 22nd, 23rd, 26th and 27th in the upper Hecho valley.

Griffon Vulture
Many in the valleys each day.

Short-toed Eagle
One adult on the 26th flying over Hecho village in the evening.

Marsh Harrier
A few on the 21st between Zaragoza and the Hecho valley.

Northern Goshawk
Two on the 22nd on the east side of the upper Hecho valley.

Sparrowhawk
Two on the 22nd on the east side of the upper Hecho valley.

Common Buzzard
Singles on the 21st to 25th in the Hecho valley.

Golden Eagle
One on the 23rd over La Pinosa near the Boca de lo Infierno and one on the 25th on the road between Puenta la Reina & Riglos.

Booted Eagle
One adult on the 27th near the Aragon river east of Puenta la Reina.

Bonelli's Eagle
One adult on the 22nd over Borda de Nadal (just south of the Boca de lo Infierno).

Common Kestrel
Singles on the 23rd and 25th over the upper Hecho valley.

Red-legged Partridge
One on the 25th at Riglos.

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Turtle Dove
One on the 27th near the Aragon river east of Puenta la Reina.

Common Cuckoo
One on the 26th at Gabardito and one on the 27th in the Hecho valley.

Alpine Swift
On the 25th at Riglos and on the 26th at Gabardito.

Common Swift

European Bee-eater
A few on the 25th on road between Bernues & San Juan de la Pena and a few on the 27th near the Aragon river east of Puenta la Reina.

Hoopoe
One on the 25th in the upper Hecho valley.

Black Woodpecker
One female/immature on the 23rd in the Guarrinza valley.

Great-spotted Woodpecker
Singles on the 24th and 25th in the Hecho valley.

Lilford's White-backed Woodpecker
One 'drumming' on the 27th in the upper Linza valley.

Crag Martin
Many each day in the upper Hecho valley, including breeding in/near the Pena Xain tunnel.

Barn Swallow

House Martin

Water Pipit
Two on the 23rd at Aguas Tuertas.

White Wagtail

Grey Wagtail
Singles on the 23rd and 26th on the Subordan river in the upper Hecho valley.

Dipper (nominate race cinclus, of the Pyrenean 'brown-bellied' form pyrenaicus)
Singles on the 23rd to 24th and 27th on the Subordan river in the upper Hecho valley.

Hedge Accentor (Dunnock)
On the 23rd and 26th in the Guarrinza valley.

Robin
Singles on the 22nd and 24th in the garden of the Gabardito camp-site.

Nightingale
Singing males on the 22nd and 24th near Hecho village.

Black Redstart
On the 22nd to 26th, mostly singing males in Hecho village.

Common Stonechat
On the 22nd, 23rd, 25th and 26th in the upper Hecho valley.

Northern Wheatear (of the 'paler' Iberian form libanotica)
A few on the 23rd in the Guarrinza valley.

Blackbird

Mistle Thrush
Single on the 27th in the Linza valley.

Melodius Warbler
Single males singing on the 22nd, 24th and 27th on the east side of the Hecho valley, at Borda de Brun in Bal d'Espetal and near the Aragon river east of Puenta la Reina respectively.

Dartford Warbler
One male on the 25th at Riglos.

Subalpine Warbler
Two males on the 25th at Riglos.

Sardinian Warbler
One male on the 25th at Riglos.

Common Whitethroat
One female on the 25th in the Guarrinza valley.

Garden Warbler
On the 22nd, 24th and 25th in the upper Hecho valley.

Blackcap
One male on the 27th in the upper Hecho valley.

Common Chiffchaff
On the 22nd, 24th and 27th, mainly in the upper Hecho valley.

Goldcrest
On the 26th in the upper Hecho valley.

Firecrest
On the 22nd, 25th and 27th, mainly in the upper Hecho valley.

Spotted Flycatcher
One on the 27th in the gorge between Santa Cruz & the Aragon river east of Puenta la Reina.

Long-tailed Tit

Crested Tit
A few on the 24th to 26th, mostly in Bal d'Espetal.

Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

European Nuthatch

Wallcreeper
A pair on the 23rd in Boca de lo Infierno.

Golden Oriole
A male on the 23rd in the Guarrinza valley and a pair on the 27th near the Aragon river east of Puenta la Reina.

Red-backed Shrike
On the 22nd to 24th and 26th around the upper Hecho valley.

Eurasian Jay
Magpie

Red-billed Chough
Many on the 23rd to 25th and 27th around the mountain ridges.

Alpine Chough
Many on the 26th at Gabardito mountain ridges.

Carrion Crow

Common Raven

Common Starling

House Sparrow

Common Chaffinch

European Serin
A few on the 22nd in the Guarrinza valley, on the 23rd in the Hecho village and on 25th & 26th in the pinewoods of the upper Hecho valley.

Citril Finch
A pair on the 24th in the pinewoods near the Gabardito camp-site and a few on the 26th at Gabardito.

Greenfinch

Goldfinch

Linnet

Common Crossbill
A few on the 22nd in the pine trees to the east of Puen de Santana.

Common Bullfinch

Yellowhammer

Cirl Bunting
A few on the 22nd and 25th in the upper Hecho valley.

Rock Bunting
One on the 26th in the pinewoods at Gabardito and one on the 27th in the Linza valley.

Corn Bunting
A few on the 22nd, 25th and 27th, mainly on the east side of the upper Hecho valley.