Observe remarkable birds in Crau

BIRDS
YES BUT WHICH?

La Crau welcomes an original procession of birds. It is a sanctuary for certain species whose numbers are very large. Indeed, it is home to the only French population of Sandgrouse and part of the French populations of Calandra Lark and Lesser Kestrel. Other species populate this atypical environment which occupies a major place in the conservation of avifauna in France.

THE LITTLE KESTLE OR FALCO NAUMANNI

This migratory bird, coming from equatorial Africa, comes to breed in the south of the country. La Crau is the main national breeding site of the species. It is one of the rarest birds of prey in France. Its population is increasing because there are hundreds of couples in Crau. It hunts in lightly grazed areas where its main prey, locusts, are more abundant. La Crau is home to 95% of the population of this falcon.

THE CANEPETIERE BUSTARD OR TETRAX TETRAX

La Crau is home to around 40% of the French breeding population of Little Bustard. The French populations, more northerly, are migratory and winter in Spain. Little Bustards feed mainly on plants and insects in spring. They do not form couples. Females care for their chicks while males display to attract other females. During the breeding season, they wear a contrasting black and white collar. During courtship, they emit a loud “fart” which gives its name to the species (the farting duck).

The species prefers less grazed areas. This allows females to hide their nest and more easily find insects to feed their chicks.

SCREEN OEDICNEMUS OR BURHINUS OEDICNEMUS

This crepuscular bird has large yellow eyes which allow it to see better in dim light. With its mimetic and very discreet plumage, it is difficult to observe but it sings as soon as night falls.

A migrant, he arrives in Crau in March and leaves in October for Africa. 

It feeds, among other things, on insects, frogs and small rodents. It nests among pebbles where vegetation is rare. The couples are very attentive when the eggs hatch. They take turns every quarter of an hour and then raise their young for a little over a month.

THE CALANDRA LARK OR MELANOCORYPHA CALANDRA

The Crau plain concentrates 95% of French workforce. The Calandra Lark is the largest European lark. The growing population numbers nearly 200 pairs. It feeds on plants when it is colder and small molluscs, earthworms and spiders on sunny days. This sedentary bird nests in a particular part of the Crau with tall vegetation where tufts of lavender are abundant.

THE EUROPEAN ROLLER OR CORACIAS GARRULUS

It is one of the most beautiful birds of the European fauna and one of the most colorful. This African bird is a great migratory which arrives in May and leaves in October for the tropics. The population in Crau is estimated at around a hundred pairs. The European Roller feeds on large insects, small mammals and birds.

The male performs an aerial courtship display . This consists of all sorts of spins, chandelles, turns, dives, and loops while plunging towards the ground. The species does not build a nest; it lays its eggs directly in a natural cavity.

THE FASCIATE HOOP OR UPUPA EPOP

The hoopoe is a medium-sized bird with orange plumage, barred with black and white on the wings and tail. It has an erectile crest, long, orange, ending in black.

In Crau, the Hoopoe nests in piles of pebbles erected during the Second World War at the request of the German army fearing an Allied air landing in the Crau plain. A summer visitor, this African bird arrives in April and leaves in September. Its long beak is very useful for capturing insects. Its scientific name Upupa comes from its characteristic “oupoupou” song.

THE Owl OF ATHENA OR ATHENE NOCTUA

The Little Owl is a small owl, just over 20 cm long with a wingspan of 45 to 50 cm. It is a compact bird with a large head, a stocky body, and short wings and tail. It prefers large open spaces dotted with trees, hedges, and walls where it can find shelter. The Crau region is therefore an ideal habitat for it.

The owl's vocabulary is quite rich. It is particularly vocal from dusk during the breeding season. Territorial calls, alarm calls and others reflect its activity. A sedentary nester, it uses the same nesting site from one year to the next. During brooding, the female is fed by the male. Active quite early in the evening to hunt, this is the best time to look for and observe this bird in the coussouls.

THE RED PARTRIDGE OR ALECTORIS RUFA

The partridge is part of the order Gallinaceae. It is a sedentary bird very widespread in Europe. There are several species of partridge but the red partridge, with predominantly red or red plumage, is one of the most common. 

The Red Partridge is abundant on the outskirts of the steppe where it finds bushes to shelter its nest. It is a highly sought-after game; hunting is authorized from September to January.

The red partridge has robust wings. But thanks to its legs which are particularly well adapted for walking, it prefers to flee danger by running rather than flying. The color of the upper part of its plumage makes it almost invisible in vegetation. In case of danger its cry is hoarse, sonorous and repeated.