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Le Teich Arcachon Ornithological Park

Nature Reserve · France

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Photo © BotaFlo

Photo © BotaFlo — CC BY 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

ABOUT

Broad channels of brackish water wind through coastal wetlands where Nouvelle-Aquitaine's Atlantic basin meets the Arcachon Basin's tidal rhythms. This nature reserve encompasses a mosaic of shallow lagoons, reed beds, and transitional marshes shaped by the Cfb oceanic climate—mild year-round with no dry season, ensuring persistent water and lush vegetation that sustains life through every month. The landscape supports wading birds and waterfowl in abundance, drawing them to exploit the rich invertebrate productivity of the mudflats and aquatic vegetation. Raptors hunt across the open water and margins, while passerines shelter in the dense reed thickets and willows that fringe the channels. This is working wetland habitat in one of western Europe's most dynamic estuarine zones, where fresh water, salt influence, and tidal pulse create conditions few other reserves in the region can match.

For those pursuing light and motion with lens and binoculars, the reserve operates as a living laboratory across the seasons. Spring and autumn bring migratory shorebirds and warblers in waves, with peak passage offering hours of productive observation from the network of designated viewing points. Winter concentrations of dabbling ducks and geese reward early visits, when low sun angles paint water and wet mud in amber and bronze. The reserve's accessibility—via established boardwalks and hides—means observers need not wade or scramble; instead, they move at the pace of the birds themselves, unrushed and intimate. For wildlife photographers seeking authentic wetland light and the behavioural drama of birds in their element, few European reserves deliver this combination of reliable access, ecological integrity, and seasonal diversity in a single day's visit.

WILDLIFE

Month

Type

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

Branta bernicla

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Tadorna ferruginea

Aix galericulata

Spatula querquedula

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Anas platyrhynchos

Northern Pintail

Ferruginous Duck

Aythya fuligula

Somateria spectabilis

Melanitta fusca

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Cuculus canorus

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Rallus aquaticus

Porzana porzana

Gallinula chloropus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Podiceps auritus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Eurasian Stone-curlew

Burhinus oedicnemus

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Recurvirostra avosetta

Pluvialis squatarola

European Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Pacific Golden Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Lymnocryptes minimus

Gallinago gallinago

Phalaropus fulicarius

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Tringa glareola

Common Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Calidris canutus

Calidris pugnax

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Calidris alpina

Calidris minuta

Sternula albifrons

Hydroprogne caspia

Chlidonias hybrida

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Great Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

Black-throated Loon

Leach's Storm Petrel

Hydrobates leucorhous

Ciconia ciconia

Northern Gannet

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Plegadis falcinellus

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Egretta garzetta

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Short-eared Owl

Common Kingfisher

Eurasian Wryneck

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minor

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Black Woodpecker

Dryocopus martius

European Green Woodpecker

Falco tinnunculus

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Garrulus glandarius

Eurasian Magpie

Corvus frugilegus

Lophophanes cristatus

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Riparia riparia

Hirundo rustica

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Cetti's Warbler

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Regulus regulus

Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Turdus philomelos

Common Blackbird

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Erithacus rubecula

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Luscinia svecica

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Phoenicurus ochruros

Saxicola rubetra

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Passer domesticus

Prunella modularis

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Motacilla cinerea

Anthus pratensis

Anthus spinoletta

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Linaria cannabina

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Serinus serinus

Eurasian Siskin

Emberiza calandra

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Branta canadensis

Branta leucopsis

Anser cygnoides

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Cairina moschata

Red-crested Pochard

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Red-legged Partridge

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Black-tailed Godwit

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Wilson's Phalarope

Phalaropus tricolor

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Stilt Sandpiper

Calidris himantopus

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis

Collared Pratincole

Glareola pratincola

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon nilotica

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinus

Red-throated Loon

Gulosus aristotelis

African Sacred Ibis

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Ardeola ralloides

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Hieraaetus pennatus

Western Barn Owl

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Eleonora's Falcon

Falco eleonorae

Falco columbarius

Woodchat Shrike

Western Jackdaw

Coloeus monedula

Poecile palustris

Eurasian Penduline Tit

Remiz pendulinus

Lullula arborea

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Galerida cristata

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Phylloscopus bonelli

Great Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Locustella luscinioides

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Sardinian Warbler

Curruca melanocephala

Red-billed Leiothrix

Leiothrix lutea

Turdus viscivorus

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Anthus campestris

Anthus trivialis

European Rock Pipit

Anthus petrosus

Fringilla montifringilla

Emberiza citrinella

Emberiza cirlus

Red-breasted Goose

Branta ruficollis

Taiga Bean Goose

Somateria mollissima

Melanitta nigra

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Coturnix coturnix

Terek Sandpiper

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

Franklin's Gull

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Stercorarius skua

Balearic Shearwater

Puffinus mauretanicus

Griffon Vulture

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocoptes medius

Eurasian Crag Martin

Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Aquatic Warbler

Acrocephalus paludicola

Eurasian Treecreeper

Certhia familiaris

African Stonechat

Saxicola torquatus

Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Myocastor coypus

Eurasian Red Squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

European Badger

Lepus europaeus

Southwestern Water Vole

Arvicola sapidus

Clethrionomys glareolus

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Eurasian Harvest Mouse

Micromys minutus

Rattus norvegicus

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

European Pine Marten

Mustela nivalis

Genetta genetta

View Complete List (271 more) →

COMMUNITY

0 Community observations

No community observations yet — be the first to log a sighting here.

Natural environment

Le Teich Arcachon Ornithological Park

Generally mild conditions, with noticeable seasonal changes.

Usual climateHumid temperate with mild summersLowland

Average annual temperature 14.2 °C Average of the twelve monthly means

Average elevation 0 m Lowland

Climate pattern Humid temperate with mild summers Main environment around this hotspot

A year of temperatures

Monthly means, with the coldest and warmest highlighted

Monthly minimum · January 7.9 °C Monthly maximum · August 21.2 °C

Global temperature scale

−40°−20°0°20°40°

Terrain and elevation

0 m · Lowland

Average terrain elevation estimate across the hotspot; the figure does not represent its highest summits.

Elevation scale

0 m

02,0004,0006,0008,000m

Lowland

Long-term climate averages, not live weather.

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