Whether you have a specific interest or just a fascination for eagles, vultures, hawks, falcons or indeed owls the Ariege offers a fantastic opportunity to observe all raptors....26 pairs of Golden Eagles, 6-8 pairs of Bearded Vulture, 10+ pairs of Black Winged Kites, 1000+ wintering Red Kites, Short-toed & Booted eagles, Egyptian vultures and even an ocassional Black Vulture. Merlins, Kestrels, Hobby provide falcon challenges. Dozens of Buzzards mix with their Honey cousins plus Harriers, Hen & some Marsh throughout the year, Montagu in the Summer and rare visits of Pallid in Winter. A Lesser Spotted Eagle has passed through the past 2 winters. Spring to Autumn provides the most interest & greatest challenge. In mid-September the migration south offers the chance to add transisting species such as Osprey to the list. In the winter there are hundreds of Red Kites, additional Scandinavian Common Buzzards, Black-winged kites (more prominant) and Hen Harrier 'dormitories'. There are also winter Bearded Vulture conservation projects.
A visit to the Ariege can be tailored to the time of year, your wishes and the weather!
A recent review:
We spent two days with Richard in May 2018. My brief to him was that we wanted to see eagles and vultures and he succeeded in delivering exactly what I was hoping for, with great views of lammergeier, griffon vulture and short toed eagle and more distant views of golden eagle. Richard clearly knows his way around the Pyrenees and took us to beautiful vantage points in the mountains. We walked through pastures strewn with orchids, gentians and other alpine plants and wandered by woods alive with birdsong. Richard himself was a great guide and we learnt a lot about the birds we were seeing. He was so helpful in explaining how to recognise the particular species and I only hope that I will remember the lessons next time I spot an eagle or vulture!
Jill, May 2018.
A visit to the Ariege can be tailored to the time of year, your wishes and the weather!
A recent review:
We spent two days with Richard in May 2018. My brief to him was that we wanted to see eagles and vultures and he succeeded in delivering exactly what I was hoping for, with great views of lammergeier, griffon vulture and short toed eagle and more distant views of golden eagle. Richard clearly knows his way around the Pyrenees and took us to beautiful vantage points in the mountains. We walked through pastures strewn with orchids, gentians and other alpine plants and wandered by woods alive with birdsong. Richard himself was a great guide and we learnt a lot about the birds we were seeing. He was so helpful in explaining how to recognise the particular species and I only hope that I will remember the lessons next time I spot an eagle or vulture!
Jill, May 2018.
Prices from 150 Euros per day for 2 people. Self-catering or B&B accommodation.
1 hour south of Toulouse. Ryanair & Easyjet direct flights. Airport pickups can be arranged.
Please contact us for more information:
contact@pyrenees.site
T: 0033616226653
1 hour south of Toulouse. Ryanair & Easyjet direct flights. Airport pickups can be arranged.
Please contact us for more information:
contact@pyrenees.site
T: 0033616226653
Birds of Prey/Raptors
- Eagles tend to be large birds with long, broad wings and massive feet. Booted eagles have legs and feet feathered to the toes and build very large stick nests.
- Ospreys, a single species found worldwide that specializes in catching fish and builds large stick nests.
- Kites have long wings and relatively weak legs. They spend much of their time soaring. They will take live vertebrate prey, but mostly feed on insects or even carrion.
- The true hawks are medium-sized birds of prey that usually belong to the genus Accipiter(see below). They are mainly woodland birds that hunt by sudden dashes from a concealed perch. They usually have long tails for tight steering.
- Buzzards are medium-large raptors with robust bodies and broad wings, or, alternatively, any bird of the genus Buteo (also commonly known as "hawks" in North America, while "buzzard" is colloquially used for vultures).
- Harriers are large, slender hawk-like birds with long tails and long thin legs. Most use a combination of keen eyesight and hearing to hunt small vertebrates, gliding on their long broad wings and circling low over grasslands and marshes.
- Vultures are carrion-eating raptors of two distinct biological families: the Accipitridae, which occurs only in the Eastern Hemisphere; and the Cathartidae, which occurs only in the Western Hemisphere. Members of both groups have heads either partly or fully devoid of feathers.
