Species
Little Bustard
Tetrax tetrax
The snort across the grass
Smaller and far less obvious than its great cousin, the Little Bustard is often heard before it's seen — and it's a species in steep decline across Europe, which makes the plains that still hold it all the more valuable.
Where & when to see it here
The Elvas and Campo Maior plains, best in spring, when displaying males give themselves away. Winter can bring loose flocks to the open fields.
Field marks & behaviour
A compact, fast-flying bird; the breeding male shows a striking black-and-white neck pattern. In display he gives a short, dry, far-carrying snort and leaps, and in flight the wings make a distinctive whistling rattle. Easily overlooked on the ground — scan the middle distance slowly.
Why the Alto Alentejo
A declining steppe specialist clinging to the open cereal-and-fallow country these plains still provide. To see it here is to see what intensive farming has erased elsewhere — a reason this landscape matters beyond the list.
Plan your visit
Walk the same ground as the little bustard.
The newsletter
What's flying now
A short, seasonal note from the Serra — what to listen for, what's passing through.