Registration for the event opens on 28 July at 9am and the programme will also be released on the same day. In addition to the usual field trips, tours and workshops, there will be a list of online activities that will allow people from all over the world to participate in activities such as lectures and workshops, among others.


Taking into account Covid-19, the Festival’s activities and spaces will be adapted to ensure the safety of all participants, following the guidelines of the DGS.


This year’s mascot of the Festival is the yellow wagtail, one of the small birds that visit the area of Sagres in greater numbers in late summer and early autumn. This graceful bird lives up to its name: its bright yellow chest and belly and its yellowish back stand out when it passes in flight, lands on fences or walks on the ground, wagging its long tail up and down. These migratory birds are among the first to arrive in the country, and can be seen in the south of Portugal as of February. Throughout spring and summer, most of the yellow wagtails that are seen here have a white eyebrow and throat: they belong to the Iberian subspecies, which nests in the country. At the beginning of autumn, several other subspecies are passing by, coming from northern and central Europe. Most leave the Portuguese territory at the end of October to spend the winter in Africa.


Like yellow wagtails, thousands of other birds fly over the Algarve in October, en route to their wintering territories in Africa. From bald eagles to storks, the 11th Birdwatching & Nature Activities Festival will be another celebration of these winged visitors, the incredible spectacle that is the migration of birds, and all the charm of nature.


The Birdwatching & Nature Activities Festival is organised by the Vila do Bispo City Council, in partnership with the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) and the Almargem Association.