Birdwatching in France
France is the second largest country in Europe and more than 500 species of birds has been recorded including one endemic (the Corsican Nuthatch).
With habitats ranging from coastal plains in the north and west, the Alps and the Pyrenees and many rivers, wetlands and forest in the central part of France you will find plenty of opportunity for birdwatching when you visit. The Mediterranean coast and the island of Corsica also offer some unique birding.
With more forestation than anywhere else in Europe Woodpeckers, Raptors and many other birds are common and easy to find, especially if you contact some of the many friendly Birdingpals located around the country.
Combined with its well known history, food and wine France may well be the most civilized birdwatching you will ever experience.
Local Birdingpal Contacts
|
Local Birdwatchers Please note that most Birdingpals are serious birdwatchers. It is a privilege to contact them, and your message should reflect it. A local Pal does not get paid, but should he/she offer to take you out birding, using their own vehicle, it would be courteous to pay for the fuel. A lunch and/or a small gift would also be appropriate, something as simple as a souvenir of your country, or a pin from your local birding club.
| Initial |
Last Name |
Area |
Available |
Language |
P
| Sorgius
| Strasbourg, Alsace
| Weekend
|
J
| Verrier
| Bergrac, Dordogne, Aquitaine
| Weekend
| French/English
|
C
| Knibbs
| Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine
| Anytime
| French/English
|
|
| I have been in the Gironde area for 5 years now and know most of the good sites in and around Bordeaux (le Teich, the Arcachon Basin, Audenge and the French Pyrenees). The local area is good for White Storks, Purple and Grey Herons, Spoonbill, Cattle & Little Egret, Bluethroat, 3 species of Harrier, ST Eagle, Hobby, Hoopoe, RB Shrikes etc... and grebes and divers in the winter. Cap Ferret is particularly good for the autumn migration and la Pointe de Grave for the spring migration. Further afield, the Pyrenees are excellent for large raptors, including Bearded, Egyptian and Griffon Vultures.... plus birds such as Blue Rock Thrush, Alpine Accentor, Chough and Alpine Chough.
|
B
| Gilard
| Le Breuil-sur-Couze, Auvergne
| Weekend
|
C
| Wilkins
| Pays d'Auge, Orne/Calvados, Basse-Normandie
| Anytime
| English/French
|
|
| Experienced UK birders now living in this rich but underwatched area.
|
G
| Gadret
| Dijon, Cote-d'or, Bourgogne
| Weekend
| French/English
|
F
| Tillier
| Tournus/Lower Doubs/Saone Valley, Bourgogne
| Weekend
| French/English
|
HP
| Rouault
| St Germain en Cogles, Bretagne
| Anytime
| Anglais/Français
|
|
| I live near the bay of Mont St Michel. |
S
| Henaff
| Angers, Loire Valley, Region Centre
| Anytime
|
Y
| Brouillard
| Troyes, Champagne-Ardenne
| Anytime
| French/Spanish | English
M
| Gauthier-Clerc
| Aigues-Mortes, Arles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
| Anytime
|
M
| Corsange
| Maussane-les-Alpilles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
| Anytime
| French/Japanese | English
|
| Maussane-les-Alpilles is a lovely old "Provençal" village. It is at the foot of les Alpilles, small mountains where several species of raptors live. It is just at the entrance of la Crau the last "steppe" in France where very rare species stay especially on Spring and Summer. It is also near Arles a well known Roman town and so near
la Camargue which is a very beautiful wetland (RAMSAR site). More than 259 species of birds can be seen (especially water
birds). In fact close the Mediterranean sea (30km). It is also not so far of le Luberon.
|
F
| Leviez
| Charenton-le-Pont, Île-de-France
| Weekend
| French/English
|
|
| I like birding around Paris and in the north of France. Baie de Somme in Picardie and on the coasts of Nord-Pas de Calais/Cap Gris-Nez/Platier d'Oye/Dunkerque.
|
JM
| Lustrat
| Fontainebleau, Île-de-France
| Anytime
| Français/Anglais
|
|
| I am working for natur preservation in the French administration. We protect around 1200 ha, mainly marshes and forest, but sites for orchids and bat's caves too. In marshes, we have Ospreys and Little Bittern
in spring and Bittern in winter. We can visit Fontainebleau forest for forest birds, and mammals.
|
B
| Segerer
| Paris, Ile de France
| Anytime
|
T
| Fournet
| Paris, Ile de France
| Anytime |
French/English | German
D
| Godreau
| Paris, Ile de France
| Weekend
| French/English
|
H
| Thebault
| Paris, Ile de France
| Anytime
|
D
| Lescaillez
| Paris, Ile de France
| Weekend
|
M
| Zucca
| Paris(Porte d'Orléans), Ile de France
| Anytime
| French/English
|
|
| Birdwatcher since 15 years, but still young! OK for birding in and around Paris for birdwatchers who have 1-2 days free in Paris and want to discover some birds around. I'm not always free, but try! (phone
number: 0033689882231). As we always do in France, we share the gas cost between the different people present in my car.
|
P
| Ricordel
| Paris(Saint Omer, Pas de Calais - 62), Ile de France
| Weekend
| French/English | Spanish
|
| Paris is not really right area to visit for birds, but sometimes. I am more a bird photographer than a birdwatcher, I do phtograph mainly in France, and sometimes abroad. My week-end location is northern France near Saint Omer (Pas de Calais - 62), where you can find many more species of birds than in Paris. Feel free to ask more
details, I will be pleased to answer you.
|
D
| Bismuth
| Pantin, Ile de France
| Weekend
|
R
| Bennett
| Autignac(near Beziers), Languedoc-Roussillon
| Anytime
|
F
| Clapham
| Nimes/Montpellier/Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon
| Anytime
|
A
| Oates
| La Montagne (16km west of Nantes), Pays de la Loire
| Anytime
| English/French
|
|
| We have recently moved out of the city of Nantes to La Montagne. I am English, living here with my French wife. I've had a keen interest in birds/ornithology since I was 5. Purely an amateur but I am keen to share my local knowledge with any visitors. I am situated about 10 mins drive from Lac de Grand lieu, 30 mins drive to La Briere, On our doorstep we have the extensive marshes of the Loire estuary. Local specialities include, Blue Throats, White Storks, Avocetes, Spoonbills, Great White Herons, Cattle Egrets, Night Herons, Purple Herons, Scquacco Herons, Corncrakes, Cetti's Warblers, All three types of Harrier, Hobby, Black Kites, Honey Buzzard and more... We are 10 minutes from the Nantes airport.
So if anyone needs help finding those elusive birds drop me a line.
|
H
| Michel
| Lunéville, Lorraine
| Anytime
|
O
| Fontaine
| Lille, Nord-Pas-de-Calais
| Anytime
| French/English | German
N
| Selosse
| Le Clipon/Dunkerque, Nord-Pas-de-Calais
| Anytime
|
B
| Paepegaey
| Lille, Nord Pas-de-Calais
| Weekend
|
T
| Daumal
| Picardie, Nord Pas de Calais
| Weekend
| French/English
|
P
| Legrand
| Villeneuve d'Ascq, Nord-Pas de Calais
| Weekend
|
B
| Bree
| Caen, Normandy
| Anytime
| French/English | Spanish/German Hebrew/Arabic Mandarin
O
| Vimont
| Angers, Maine et Loire, Pays de la Loire
| Weekend
| French/English | German/Spanish
W
| Maillard
| Gétigné, Pays de la Loire
| Anytime
| French/English
|
A
| Oates
| La Montagne (16km west of Nantes), Pays de la Loire
| Anytime
| English/French
|
|
| We have recently moved out of the city of Nantes to La Montagne. I am English, living here with my French wife. I've had a keen interest in birds/ornithology since I was 5. Purely an amateur but I am keen to share my local knowledge with any visitors. I am situated about 10 mins drive from Lac de Grand lieu, 30 mins drive to La Briere, On our doorstep we have the extensive marshes of the Loire estuary. Local specialities include, Blue Throats, White Storks, Avocetes, Spoonbills, Great White Herons, Cattle Egrets, Night Herons, Purple Herons, Scquacco Herons, Corncrakes, Cetti's Warblers, All three types of Harrier, Hobby, Black Kites, Honey Buzzard and more... We are 10 minutes from the Nantes airport.
So if anyone needs help finding those elusive birds drop me a line.
|
S
| Bradley
| Near Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
| Anytime
| English | some French
|
| Living and working near the Loire Worldwide Heritage site. Keen photographer. List of birds on site here at home is impressive. We offer holiday accommodation and support to disabled birders too!
|
T
| Williamson
| Poitiers, Poitou-Charentes
| Anytime
| English
|
|
| I can help you for birding in the Pyrenées, on the Mediterreanean coast from Narbonne to the Spanish border and you shall find on my blog http://oiseauxethologie.fr/ birdwatching reports on different countries (Spain, France, Iceland....) and details on the FORUM:http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/OiseauxEthologie/ (Behaviour of birds).
|
A
| Boussard
| Midi Pyrenées
| Anytime
| French/English
|
|
| I can help you for birding in the Pyrenées, on the Mediterreanean coast from Narbonne to the Spanish border and you shall find on my blog http://oiseauxethologie.fr/ birdwatching reports on different countries (Spain, France, Iceland....) and details on the FORUM:http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/OiseauxEthologie/ (Behaviour of birds).
|
O
| Debre
| Dombes, Pilat Regional Park, Rhône-Alpes
| Weekend
| French/English
|
|
| The Dombes is a rural area punctuated with hundreds of shallow ponds and lakes. It is very attracting for wintering and breeding ducks, migrating waders, and songbirds. Diversity peaks are April/May and
August/September. Pilat Regional Park, though not yielding as much avifaunistic diversity as Dombes, still represents an interesting forested hills area, resembling the Vosges moutains. I can also help you with alpine regions: Ecrins/Oisans, Vanoise,
Chartreuse, Vercors.
|
M
| Bowman
| La Roche-sur-Foron, Haute-Savoie, Rhône-Alpes
| Anytime
| French/English
|
B
| Piot
| Logras, Péron, Rhône-Alpes
| Anytime
| Dutch/French | English/German
|
| My home village is located on the foothills of the southern Jura mountain range, close to the Rhône river and to lake Geneva, near the Swiss border – and close to the western Alps. As a result, there is an interesting variety of birds around here, ranging from true mountain species (Citril Finch, Wallcreeper, Golden Eagle, Ring
Ouzel to name just a few) to wetland and waterbirds: thousands of ducks spend the winter on the lake or on the Rhône, and in spring/summer there are good places for breeding and migrant passerines. In autumn, raptor migration here can be truly impressive, with over 20’000 raptors and other large migrants (Storks, Cranes, Herons, Cormorants) passing through the area.
Fort l’Ecluse, a famous migration watchpoint, is just 10 mins. away from my village.
|
J
| Martineau
| St Etienne/Auvergne, Rhone Alpes
| Anytime
| French/English
|
V
| Palomares
| Saint-Désirat, Ardèche, Rhône-Alpes
| Anytime
| French/English
|
B
| Veillet
| Lans en Vercors, Vercors
| Anytime
| French/English | German
| Professional Guides
Initial
| Last Name
| Area
| Available
| Language
|
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Local Information
|
| Name | Description
|
| Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux | Club |
|
| LPO Champagne Ardenne | Club |
|
| LPO Alsace | Club |
|
| LPO Anjou | Club |
|
| LPO Ile-de-France | Club |
|
| Bretagne Vivante | Club |
|
| Centre Ornithologique Ile-de-France | Club |
|
| SEPOL | Club |
|
| Associations ornithologiques françaises | Local Clubs |
|
| La Basse Vallée du Doubs | Sites |
|
| Birding Hotspots around the world | Sites |
|
| Festival de l'oiseau et de la nature | Festival |
|
| Observations et hotspots en Provence | Sites |
|
| la Jetée du Clipon | Dunkerque, Northern France |
|
| Ornithomedia.com | Sites |
|
| Le conservatoire des espaces naturels de l'Isère | Nature Trust |
|
| Lépidoptéristes Parisiens d'Ile-de-France | Butterflies |
|
| Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | France |
|
| Local weather | Yahoo |
|
| Electronic maps | MapQuest |
|
| Find lowest prices for field guides, books, maps etc. | |
|
| Field guides recommended by Birdingpals | |
|
| Printable bird check list | |
|
| Trip Reports from France |
Last update 03/07/2009