The presence of some of the most remarkable species of Portuguesebirdlife, along with a growing interest in birdwatching, is another reason to visit this area.
The quartzite scarp territories with high-altitude scruband water courses in the area create perfect conditions for the presence - and nesting - of emblematic species of birdlife.
Some of these sites are listed below, along with the main species present or nesting there:
Casal de São Simão - Fragas de São Simão (quartzite scarps)
- Bubo bubo
- Ciconia nigra
- Falco peregrinus
- Sitta europaea
- Cinclus cinclus
- Monticola solitarius
Fajão - Penedos de Fajão (quartzite scarps)
- Falco tinunculus
- Monticola solitarius
Janeiro de Baixo - Barragem de Santa Luzia/Serra do Vidual (quartzite scarps)
- Carduelis spinus
- Emberiza cia
- Falco peregrinus
- Parus ater
- Ptyonoprogne rupestris
- Regulus ignicapillus
- Monticola solitarius
Occasionally, from February to July:
- Ciconia nigra (nested there until a few years ago)
In winter
- Tichodroma muraria
Pena - Penedos de Góis(quartzíte scarps)
- Ciconia nigra
- Falco peregrinus
Rio Ceira and Rio Zêzere(water courses)
- Ardea cinerea
- Cinclus cinclus
- Phalacrocorax carbo
- Alcedo athis
Serra do Açor and Serra da Lousã(high-altitude scrub)
- Circus pygargus
- Sylvia undata
- Prunella modularis
- Emberiza cia
In addition to the locations and species already mentioned, we also highlight, in general, the presence of the following in the Aldeias do Xisto region:
- Sylvia melanocephala
- Circus pygargus
- Circaetus gallicus
- Aquila pennata
- Accipiter gentilis
- Accipiter nisus
- Corvus corax
- Cecropis daurica
- Parus cristatus
- Picus viridis
- Caprimulgus europaeus
- Merops apiaster
- Oriolus oriolus
