The diversity of plants and abundance of fauna is one of the features of Ria Formosa, highlighting the birds, which include many species listed as endangered.
Many migratory speciesl, from northern Europe spend the winter or use the area as a stopover on route towards south.
Among the most important can be singled out in Autumn and winter Spoonbills, hundreds of Greater Flamingos, Audouin’s Gulls and Slender-billed Gulls and as many as 20 species of wading birds, including Stone-curlews. In spring/summer, local breeding species include European Bee-eaters, Red-necked Nightjar, Little Terns, Avocets and Kentish Plovers.
One of the major attractions here are the Greater Flamingos at least some of which can be found all the year round. As many as 1,000 of them may be seen in the winter months.
Noteworthy is the chicken-sultana (Porphyrio), and the population of White Stork Ciconia ciconia.
The benthic communities, with composition varying from species to other marine clearly own the lagoon system, have extremely large populations, and some of them of economic interest the clams Ruditapes decussatus, the cockle Cerastoderma edule and the Razor Clam Ensis siliqua.
In the fish fauna are identified 65 species, among these, the Golden Sparus aurata, the seabream Diplodus sargus, Seabass Dicentratus labrax, the Sole Solea senegalensis and eel Anguilla anguilla.
In the Reptiles note the Chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon, a species threatened with extinction and whose distribution is confined to Portugal Eastern Algarve coastline, pine forests of the coastal mainland and the barrier islands.
In the mammals note the otter Lutra lutra, the Sacarabos Herpestes ichneumon.
The Algarve has a wonderful variety of birds and many places where to find them. At almost any time of the year there is something of interest to see.
The Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseus is the largest, palest and most widespread of all the flamingo species.
As well as southern Europe, it is also found in parts of Africa and southern Asia. It is distinguished from all other flamingos by its large size (averaging 110 - 150 cm) in combination with its relatively pale plumage.
The species is highly gregarious, breeding in large colonies, some with thousands of birds. The main breeding colonies in Europe are in France, Spain and Italy and there have only ever been occasional breeding attempts in Portugal.
The birds are migratory and prone to irregular movements in response to temperature and water-level changes. Hundreds spend the winter in the Algarve and some non-breeding birds also remain with us during the summer months.
The pigments necessary for their pink colouring from carotenoids they find in their food (algae, crustaceans, molluscs and other invertebrates). In the Algarve, we see them feeding mainly in the many saltpans along the coast.
The benthic communities, with composition varying from species to other marine clearly own the lagoon system, have extremely large populations, and some of them of economic interest the clams Ruditapes decussatus, the cockle Cerastoderma edule and the Razor Clam Ensis siliqua.
