S'Albufereta

Parks and Nature | Pollença

S'Albufereta is the perfect spot for bird watching all year round. 196 of the 325 known species in the Balearic Islands can be seen there. With waterfowl closely related to those in S'Albufera de Mallorca, it is the nesting grounds for rare species such as the purple gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio), marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), stilt sandpiper (Himantopus himantopus), yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava) and moustached warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon), as well as other, more common species such as the little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), coot (Fulica atra) and moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). S'Albufereta is an important stopping off point and feeding grounds for migratory fowl during spring and autumn and also the habitat of birds from northern European in winter. The wetlands encompass three clearly differentiated areas: a sandy coastal strip that measures 50 to 100 m wide, floodlands with channels and lakes (S'Albufereta's two almost permanent lakes and a salt lake known as Sa Barcassa, which is flooded in winter) and sporadically flooded areas which feature the largest grove of tamarind trees in the Balearic Islands, made up of Tamarix gallica and T. Canariensis. Studies of plant life indicate the presence of 349 different species in the S'Albufereta Nature Reserve, and the Autonomous Community protects six endemic varieties, three others species (Pancratium maritimum, Chamaerops humilis and Myrtus communis), one genus (Tamarix) and one family (Orchidiaceae).