Marismas de Santoña

Natural Park · Spain

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Photo © Iker Merodio from Bilbao, Basque Country

Photo © Iker Merodio from Bilbao, Basque Country — CC BY 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where the Cantabrian coast gentles into estuarine marshlands, Marismas de Santoña unfolds as a vital wetland complex where Atlantic tides, coastal dunes, and temperate maritime climate converge to create one of northern Spain's most dynamic ecosystems. The natural park embraces a mosaic of saltmarsh, brackish lagoons, reed beds, and mudflats that shift daily with the rhythm of the Cantabrian Sea. Year-round moisture and the absence of true drought characterise this temperate oceanic landscape, where lush vegetation thrives on maritime soils enriched by tidal cycles and consistent Atlantic rainfall. The park's ecological heart pulses with life: wading birds probe the exposed mud at low tide, waterfowl inhabit the deeper pools and channels, raptors quarter the open marshes and dune grasslands, and small mammals shelter within the dense reed beds and coastal scrub. Migratory species converge here during spring and autumn passages, transforming the wetland into a temporary haven for exhausted travellers crossing the Bay of Biscay.

For wildlife photographers and birdwatchers, Marismas de Santoña offers unparalleled opportunities to observe marshland specialists and seabirds in their working habitat, with the tidal cycle itself becoming a rhythm to master—falling tides concentrate prey and force birds into predictable feeding zones, while rising water disperses the congregation across the flats. The temperate Cfb climate delivers reliable light conditions throughout the year: clear winter mornings illuminate frost-silvered reed beds and frost-gathering waterfowl, while spring and autumn migrations bring peak species diversity and activity. Access via well-positioned observation points and walking trails allows visitors to move through the landscape without disturbing the birds, and the proximity of small coastal towns ensures comfort alongside genuine wilderness. This is a wetland for patient observers, where understanding tidal rhythms and seasonal movements unlocks encounters with the full spectrum of temperate Atlantic marshland wildlife.

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus

Griffon Vulture

Branta bernicla

Tundra Bean Goose

Anser serrirostris

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Anas platyrhynchos

Northern Pintail

Red-crested Pochard

Aythya fuligula

Somateria mollissima

Melanitta perspicillata

Melanitta nigra

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Gallinula chloropus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Podiceps auritus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Recurvirostra avosetta

Pluvialis squatarola

European Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Black-tailed Godwit

Gallinago gallinago

Phalaropus fulicarius

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Common Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Calidris canutus

Calidris pugnax

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Calidris alpina

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Larus cachinnans

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Great Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus glaucoides

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

Red-throated Loon

Black-throated Loon

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Gulosus aristotelis

Plegadis falcinellus

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

Egretta garzetta

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Hieraaetus pennatus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Western Barn Owl

Common Kingfisher

Eurasian Wryneck

Iberian Green Woodpecker

Falco tinnunculus

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Garrulus glandarius

Eurasian Magpie

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Eurasian Crag Martin

Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Hirundo rustica

Cetti's Warbler

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Western Bonelli's Warbler

Phylloscopus bonelli

Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Sardinian Warbler

Curruca melanocephala

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Dartford Warbler

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Regulus regulus

Troglodytes troglodytes

Tichodroma muraria

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Spotless Starling

Sturnus unicolor

Turdus philomelos

Common Blackbird

Erithacus rubecula

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Phoenicurus ochruros

Blue Rock Thrush

Monticola solitarius

Saxicola rubetra

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Passer domesticus

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Motacilla cinerea

Anthus pratensis

European Rock Pipit

Anthus petrosus

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Serinus serinus

Eurasian Siskin

Emberiza calandra

Emberiza citrinella

Emberiza cirlus

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Ciconia ciconia

Branta canadensis

Branta leucopsis

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchus

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Tadorna ferruginea

Cairina moschata

Aix galericulata

Callonetta leucophrys

Spatula querquedula

White-cheeked Pintail

Anas bahamensis

Marmaronetta angustirostris

Ferruginous Duck

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Melanitta fusca

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Mergellus albellus

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

White-headed Duck

Oxyura leucocephala

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Coturnix coturnix

Red-legged Partridge

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Tachymarptis melba

Cuculus canorus

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Rallus aquaticus

Eurasian Stone-curlew

Burhinus oedicnemus

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Lymnocryptes minimus

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Terek Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Tringa glareola

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

Calidris minuta

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla

Collared Pratincole

Glareola pratincola

Sternula albifrons

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon nilotica

Hydroprogne caspia

Chlidonias hybrida

Chlidonias niger

Sterna paradisaea

Lesser Crested Tern

Thalasseus bengalensis

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Leucophaeus atricilla

Franklin's Gull

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Ichthyaetus audouinii

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Larus hyperboreus

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudus

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinus

Stercorarius skua

Wilson's Storm Petrel

Oceanites oceanicus

European Storm Petrel

Hydrobates pelagicus

Leach's Storm Petrel

Hydrobates leucorhous

Cory's Shearwater

Calonectris borealis

Sooty Shearwater

Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinus

Balearic Shearwater

Puffinus mauretanicus

Northern Gannet

African Sacred Ibis

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Ardeola ralloides

Pandion haliaetus

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Aquila chrysaetos

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Eurasian Scops Owl

Short-eared Owl

Bubo scandiacus

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Eleonora's Falcon

Falco eleonorae

Falco columbarius

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Iberian Grey Shrike

Lanius meridionalis

Woodchat Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Red-billed Chough

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Pyrrhocorax graculus

Western Jackdaw

Coloeus monedula

Lophophanes cristatus

Poecile palustris

Eurasian Penduline Tit

Remiz pendulinus

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Greater Short-toed Lark

Calandrella brachydactyla

Melanocorypha calandra

Riparia riparia

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Yellow-browed Warbler

Phylloscopus inornatus

Iberian Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus ibericus

Great Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Aquatic Warbler

Acrocephalus paludicola

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Eurasian Nuthatch

Turdus viscivorus

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Luscinia svecica

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Prunella modularis

Anthus campestris

Anthus trivialis

Anthus spinoletta

Fringilla montifringilla

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Linaria cannabina

Plectrophenax nivalis

Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Locustella luscinioides

Turdus torquatus

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Rattus norvegicus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Mustela nivalis

Halichoerus grypus

Genetta genetta

Panglobal Common Dolphin

Delphinus delphis

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

Eurasian Wild Boar

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

Schreibers's Long-fingered Bat

Miniopterus schreibersii

Daubenton's Myotis

Myotis daubentonii

Geoffroy's Myotis

Myotis emarginatus

Kuhl's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus kuhlii

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

European Badger

Harbor Porpoise

Phocoena phocoena

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