birdwatching inAbsheron National Park
Conveniently close to the capital, Baku, the Absheron National Park may be Azerbaijan’s smallest national park, covering 783 hectares, but it buzzes with birdlife and has a lovely remote setting at the tip of the Absheron Peninsula. The park’s landscape combines coastal wetlands and semi-desert, and a trip here will reward birders with sightings of a variety of gulls, terns, ducks and waders, as well as various species of raptors. Most of the birds are migrants flying along the Caspian coastline, however there are some nesting species, such as the short-eared owl, which can be seen in autumn. The park is also home to gazelles, wolves, jackals, Caspian tortoises, the Levantine viper, and other interesting animals. The Caspian seal, the world's smallest seal, can sometimes be seen at the tip of the cape between May and August.
Target species:
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
When to visit:
Mid-April to mid-May is considered the best time. Rain- and wind-less days in November are also good. From mid-January to the end of February you can see wintering species such as flamingos.
Where to stay:
The national park is only about 60km from central Baku, where there is a full range of accommodation options to choose from.
.jpg)
