Region covered by this guide
This guidebook covers Provence and the Camargue in southern France, from the Montpellier area in the west to Nice in the east. It includes the Mediterranean coast and extends north to Mont Ventoux, the Vaucluse and the southern foothills of the Alps.
Major natural areas covered include the Camargue, La Crau and Les Alpilles in the west, the Calanques, Massif des Maures and Île de Port-Cros along the Mediterranean coast, and the Gorges du Verdon, Luberon and Mont Ventoux further inland.
The Crossbill Guide is a thorough and practical guide for birdwatchers, naturalists and nature lovers. It offers background information, detailed routes and site descriptions, plus tips on finding and watching birds, wildlife and wildflowers. The book combines walking routes with car itineraries featuring stops and short walks.
Some key sites described in this book
- Camargue
- La Crau
- Les Alpilles
- Gorges du Verdon
- Mont Ventoux
- Luberon
- Montagne Sainte-Victoire
- Plateau de Calern
- Massif des Maures
- Île de Port-Cros
- Calanques
- Vaucluse
- Var
- Rhône River
Why visit Provence and Camargue for their wildlife
Provence is one of France’s richest regions for wildlife. The spectacular wetlands of the Camargue are famous for Greater Flamingos and a wealth of other waterbirds, while nearby La Crau is a dry, steppe-like plain with a completely different birdlife. Mediterranean scrub, limestone mountains and rocky coasts add yet more habitats and species.
Further inland, the landscape rises towards Mont Ventoux and the southern Alps, where mountain forests and flower-rich grasslands support an exceptional diversity of wildflowers, butterflies and birds. Few regions in France offer such contrasting landscapes and such a rich flora and fauna within a relatively small area.Look for more information and images on our Wildlife Site Page on Camargue and Crau.
Some key species you may find with this book
- Greater Flamingo
- Great Spotted Cuckoo
- Glossy Ibis
- Purple Gallinule (Purple Swamphen)
- Wallcreeper
- Black Vulture (Cinereous Vulture)
- Griffon Vulture
- Yelkouan Shearwater
- Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
- Little Bustard
- Moorish Gecko
- European Leaf-toed Gecko
- Stripeless Tree Frog
- Southern Swallowtail
- Checkered Blue
- Apollo
- Giant Orchid
- Drome Orchid (Ophrys drunensis)
- Scarce Tongue Orchid (Serapias neglecta)
About the authors
Dirk Hilbers (The Netherlands, 1976) set up the Crossbill Guides Foundation and travels across Europe to research the guidebooks. This is the 27th guide on which he has worked. When not in the field, Dirk is a lecturer in animal and environmental ethics.
Constant Swinkels (The Netherlands, 1995) has been a naturalist from the moment he was able to hold a pair of binoculars, which led him to specialise academically in ecology. His interests range from birds and wildflowers to butterflies and reptiles. Constant specialises in vegetation ecology and co-authored the routes, bird section and ecological chapters of this book.
Albert Vliegenthart (The Netherlands, 1975) works at De Vlinderstichting, the Dutch butterfly conservation organisation, and specialises in butterflies and dragonflies as well as being a keen birdwatcher. Albert co-authored the routes and contributed to the insect and bird sections of this book.
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