Portuguese River Birds

The rustic assortment of birds from all over the north and south spend their time swimming in the cool waters and eyeing the occasional fish that floats too close to the shallows. Even the larger birds must refrain from bullying while they attempt to bake in the hot sun, in order to soak in as much warmth as they can before continuing their journey. Around 600 bird species have been recorded in Portugal, including its outlying islands. The most important of the latter are Madeira and the Azores. The Azores, due to their geographical location, record a number of North American species rarely recorded elsewhere in Europe. Both the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira have a subtropical climate, although variations between islands exist, making weather predictions very difficult (owing to topography, temperature and humidity).The Savage Islands, which are part of the regional territory of Madeira are unique in being classified as a Desert climates with an annual average rainfall of approximately 150 mm (5.9 in). Portugal is an important stopover for migratory birds, in places such as Cape St. Vincent or the Monchique mountain, where thousands of birds cross from Europe to Africa during the autumn or in the spring (return migration). Most of the avian species congregate along the Iberian Peninsula since it is the closest stopover between northern Europe and Africa. This sound uses the following file from Freesound: http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=121919