On the Causses, as in the Gorges, the star bird is the Vulture! However, there are over a hundred species of birds living in this majestic Caussenard landscape! If you know how to observe and listen carefully, you can come across many of these little birds on short hikes. Here are just a few you might spot!
Cliff vultures Gorges du Tarn.Cliff vultures Gorges du Tarn.|
The little birds of the Grands Causses
Discover the region's wealth of ornithological treasures.All about
Birds of theGrands Causses
Hike the Causse Méjean ledge and watch vultures in flightHike the Causse Méjean ledge and watch vultures in flight
DID YOU KNOW?
The griffon vulture is a species of vulture that you’re sure to find between the Grands Causses and the Gorges du Tarn!
Some are almost 3 meters long!
#1
Red-billed Chough
Latin name: Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Size: 41 cm
Wingspan: 76 to 80 cm.
Weight: 280 to 360 g
The Red-billed Crake is distinguished by its black-blue plumage, red beak and pasta. The bird is a true aerial acrobat, capable of graceful and dexterous flight. It travels in pairs, small groups or large gatherings of up to a hundred individuals. The Red-billed Crake frequents maritime moors and cliff-top pastures such as the Grands Causses.
Red-billed CrabRed-billed Crab |
DID YOU KNOW?
The Red-billed Crake is the symbol of Cornwall. There, legend has it that King Arthur’s soul took refuge in a Crave, and the blood spilled from his last battle gave the bird’s legs and beak their red color. Killing it would bring bad luck!
Wood Wheatear Wood Wheatear |
#2
Common wheatear
Latin name: Oenanthe oenanthe
Size: 16 cm
Wingspan: 26 to 32 cm.
Weight: 17 to 30 g
The clammy wheatear is characterized by a white rump that is easily identifiable in flight. The male’s plumage is black and gray, while the female’s is a less contracted brown and gray. The red wheatear is generally found in mountainous territory, but also in stony fields such as those of the Grands Causses.
The red wheatear is a migratory bird. From October onwards, it flies to equatorial Africa, where it winters until April.
#3
Hoopoe
Latin name: Upupa epops
Size: 32 cm
Wingspan: 42 to 46 cm.
Weight: 55 to 80 g
Its large, erectile hoopoe, long beak, rufous plumage and black-and-white tail make the Hoopoe a remarkable bird!
The Hoopoe is a demanding bird in terms of habitat. During nesting, it selects an open to semi-open, bare or lightly grassed environment close to tree or rock cavities.
During the breeding season, hoopoes live in pairs, then in small family groups.
Huppe fascie in the Thse garden. The Fascist Hoopoe is found in the warm, temperate regions of the Old World. It frequents open countryside dotted with areas of bare earth or short grass. Essentially insectivorous, the hoopoe captures the vast majority of its prey on the ground. The hoopoe is protected by law in France and most other European countries. European hoopoes migrate as far as tropical Africa to spend the winter. In France, they arrive as early as the end of February in the south, and in March or April in more northerly regions. But it leaves our latitudes as soon as it has finished nesting, in August and more rarely in September.Huppe fascie in the Thse garden. The Fascist Hoopoe is found in the warm, temperate regions of the Old World. It frequents open countryside dotted with areas of bare earth or short grass. Essentially insectivorous, the hoopoe captures the vast majority of its prey on the ground. The hoopoe is protected by law in France and most other European countries. European hoopoes migrate as far as tropical Africa to spend the winter. In France, they arrive as early as the end of February in the south, and in March or April in more northerly regions. But it leaves our latitudes as soon as it has finished nesting, in August and more rarely in September.|
#4
Ortolan Bunting
Latin name: Emberiza hortulana
Size: 17 cm
Wingspan: 24 to 27 cm.
Weight: 19 to 27 g
Its head, neck and breast are olive-green, contrasting with its yellow throat. The lower part of the body is pinkish, while the upper part is reddish-brown with black stripes. The male can be distinguished from the female by a more colorful hue and the absence of small black spots on the upper belly.
The Ortolan Bunting makes its home in an open environment sparsely dotted with trees. Outside the breeding season, the bird lives among a hundred or so individuals in Africa.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Ortolan Bunting was coveted for its dearness until the European Union banned its hunting in 2009.
Ortolan Bunting Oiseau Des Grands CaussesOrtolan Bunting Oiseau Des Grands Causses|
European Nighthawk Oiseau Des Grands CaussesEuropean Nighthawk Oiseau Des Grands Causses
#5
European Nightjar
Latin name: Caprimulgus europaeus
Size: 28 cm
Wingspan: 54 to 60 cm.
Weight: 67 to 100 g
Difficult to observe, the plumage of this nocturnal bird blends into the dead leaves and bark. During its breeding season, the Common Nighthawk settles in medium-sized mountains or plains, in open woodlands.
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