Brazo del Este Nature Reserve

Paraje Natural Brazo del Este lies 18 km south of the city of Seville, is part of the former Guadalquivir River course, east of the current river position and very close to the town of Los Palacios. At present, it can still be made out as the riparian vegetation on its banks meander down through the rice paddies, being physically separated from the rest of the Doñana marshland.

It is an outstanding ornithological site, with over 230 species of birds recorded. The high numbers of waterfowl in winter and spring, and especially at times of drought, when birds from the nearby Doñana National Park move into Brazo del Este, make it a favoured hotspot for birders.

Year-round water availability turns Brazo del Este into a high value ecological site, harbouring rich vegetation composed of reeds, bull rush, sedge, and vast expanses of rice paddies. This supports a diverse avifauna such as Marbled teal, Squacco and Purple Herons, Glossy Ibis, Black Stork, Whiskered Tern, Western Swamphen and Collared Pratincole.