ORNITHOLOGICAL TOURISM
L’Aiguabarreig
The confluence of the rivers Segre, Cinca and Ebro is located in El Baix Segre and unites the comarca of El Segrià with that of El Baix Cinca and a small area of El Matarranya, in the Franja de Ponent, where the Aiguabarreig-Matarranya ZEPA, which is administered by the Autonomous Community of Aragon, covers 40,000 ha. In El Baix Segre, various different spaces form part of the Aiguabarreig (river confluence), ranging from the Serra de Montllober (Massalcoreig) to the hills of Almatret, which is where the rivers Cinca and Segre meet, at a point between Seròs and La Granja d’Escarp, before joining the River Ebro, between Mequinenza and Almatret.
In this area, a series of steppe environments are intertwined with: the largest expanse of riparian woodland in Catalonia, fluvial islands, large areas of fruit fields and steep cliffs. As a result, it is possible to find places where there may be a colony of squacco herons living next to another of short-toed snake eagles. There are all kinds of warblers here, as well as rock-dwelling birds, such as the chough and the peregrine falcon, together with Bonelli’s eagle. It is also possible to find numerous types of dryland larks there, with the only notable exception of Dupont’s lark. Other species found in this area include: the red-necked nightjar, the blue rock thrush, the black wheatear and colonies of sand martins.
It is possible to explore this area on both banks of the rivers and there are some signposted itineraries through the gallery woodlands. Due to the volume of the River Ebro, it may also be possible to travel by boat. This makes it possible to see the cliffs where the birds of prey and many rock dwelling species can often be observed. The river is very wide, exceeding 600 metres at certain points.
There are information centres at the local council buildings of Seròs and Massalcoreig.