Paul de Tornada
The Paul de Tornada is a freshwater marsh in the parish of Tornada, about 5 km from Caldas da Rainha in western Portugal. It has been a Ramsar wetland of international importance since 24 October 2001. In 2009 it became a Local Nature Reserve (Reserva Natural Local). The Geoparque Oeste describes it as the main freshwater wetland in the Oeste region.
The reserve covers about 50 hectares. Roughly half is permanently flooded, and the rest floods in winter rains and dries into muddy banks in summer.
Management
According to the Ramsar listing, the site is private land rented to two environmental organisations, GEOTA and Associação PATO, with support from national and local government. Next to the reserve is the Centro Ecológico Educativo Paul da Tornada – Professor João Evangelista, an environmental education centre run jointly by GEOTA and PATO. It also serves as the reserve's visitor and interpretation centre. The site has an observatory and a trail of about 4 km.
Flora
The vegetation is typical of freshwater marsh. It includes yellow flag iris, bulrush (Typha spp., including Typha latifolia), common club-rush, common reed, and white willow. The marsh is especially important for protecting reed beds and the birds that live in them.
Fauna
Birds
Ramsar lists the site mainly for its variety of species, especially migratory birds. PATO counted 61 bird species in a recent monitoring survey.
- Breeding birds include the little bittern, purple heron, western swamphen, and Eurasian coot.
- Summer visitors include the common swift, barn swallow, common house martin, Eurasian reed warbler, great reed warbler, and Savi's warbler.
- Winter visitors include the spotted crake, which the regional planning authority calls a priority species.
- Passage migrants include the bluethroat, which is rare in Portugal, along with the sedge warbler, whinchat, and western yellow wagtail.
- Raptors seen regularly include the black-winged kite, barn owl, northern goshawk, and Eurasian sparrowhawk. The black kite and western marsh harrier appear from time to time.
- Introduced species that now breed here include the black-headed weaver and common waxbill.
Other animals
The Eurasian otter and the European pond turtle live in the reserve. Both are listed as threatened in Portugal's Livro Vermelho dos Vertebrados de Portugal (Red Data Book of Portuguese Vertebrates) and are protected under the Bern Convention. A local guide notes that the European pond turtle faces pressure from the more common Spanish pond turtle. Eels also live in the marsh.
Visiting
The reserve is used for birdwatching. The Caldas da Rainha municipality presents it as a refuge for herons, ducks, otters, and turtles. The education centre runs guided visits and environmental education activities for schools and the public.
See also
- Caldas da Rainha
- List of Ramsar sites in Portugal
- Protected areas of Portugal