The Faia Brava Reserve, on the Portuguese side of the Western Iberia rewilding area, offers some of the best vulture watching opportunities in Europe. The newly opened Vulture hide here offers to the visitor fantastic opportunities to see and enjoy these huge raptors at point-blank range.
The hide is located in the Municipality of Figuera de Castelo Rodrigo and is accessible only by 4×4 vehicles arranged for with the landowner, the local nature conservation organisation ATN. ATN is our rewilding partner in Western Iberia and they own and manages this unique Faia Brava Reserve.
The hide is built within one of the vulture feeding areas in Faia Brava, and it is located on a high point overlooking the river. Vultures are fed here, not primarily for viewing, but as a nature conservation action. Seeing them is an added bonus of the conservation measures taken. There are few trees here on the rocky outcrops. The sun rises behind the hide, which gives a favorable photo light all day: from dusk to dawn.
The list of vultures you can watch and photograph at this one single place is impressive: Egyptian vulture, black vulture , griffon vulture (the most common) and sometimes even the rare, African Rüppells griffon vulture! And there are more birds that regularly show up: black kite and red kite, golden eagle, raven, azure-winged magpie, and blue rock trush, among others.
“The scene is fascinating and the landscape around the vulture feeder is exciting, with the Côa valley in the background with its old and mythical silence. The soaring griffon vultures passing by and then landing only a few meters away, and the fast fight of the kites raises your adrenaline levels, which then peak maybe when the enigmatic Egyptian vulture lands 15 meters away from the hide, displaying its peculiar way of walking… This is an unforgettable experience for any bird watcher, nature photographer or nature lover!”, says photographer Dinis Cortes.
The capacity of the hide is suitable for up to three photographers at the same time and it is open seven days a week from March to August. See here about prices, conditions, places to stay, booking details, etc. This is simply a very pleasant and very attractive way to support rewilding in action!
Faia Brava Vulture Hide