Fauna and Flora

Biodiversity in Alicante Golf

Alicante Golf is a natural ecosystem in which the distribution of lakes across the course and the use of a large number of trees and bushes around the route enable the development of communities of great environmental value.

The ecosystem of fauna and flora stands out for the colonies of water birds typical of the marsh lands which have found a suitable place to settle in the course’s nesting areas: mallards (Anas platirhynchos), grey herons (Ardea cinerea), little egrets (Egretta garzetta), black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), Eurasian coots (Fulica atra), common moorhens (Gallinula chloropus), little grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis), Eurasian teals (Anas crecca), bitterns (Ixobrychus minutus) and many other protected species, some migratory, which have found a favourable environment in the golf course to reproduce and develop. Special cases include the red-crested pochards (Netta rufina), chosen Bird of the Year 2008 by seo/Birdlife, and which is usually seen on the lake of the Green of the 4th hole, and the ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) from North Africa which breeds in the reeds of the lake on hole 16. Every spring, the course is witness to a true population explosion, as many species come here to reproduce.

Alongside these, a large number of grain and insect eating birds, which often nest in our trees and bushes, such as the hoopoe (Upupa epops), common swifts (Apus apus), white wagtails (Motacilla alba), grey wagtails (Motacilla cinerea), common blackbirds (Turdus merula), robins (Erithacus rubecula), brown flamingos (Phoenicopterus ochruros), Sardinian warblers (Sylvia melanocephala), common chiffchaffs (Phylloscopus collybita), and yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella).

This varied fauna invites the appearance even of some birds of prey, which have their hunting grounds in our surroundings. It is not difficult to see the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) and common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) watching their prey or hearing some long-eared owl (Asio otus) or little owl (Athene noctua).

Alicante Golf has taken special care in using local species to repopulate the different areas of the course, thus guaranteeing the promotion of the trees and bushes adapted to the local climate. Along with the appearance of different species of rubber plants and palm trees, we find remains of earlier plantations of agricultural interest such as olives (Olea europea), almonds (Prunus amygdalus) and carob (Ceratonia siliqua). These are accompanied by bush species such as Tamarix boveana), Pistacia lentiscus and Peruvian pepper (Schinus molle).

To encourage the nesting of the water birds, a series of gramineas have been planted such as the Lygeum spartum, Brachypodium phoenicoides and Ammophila arenaria, which accompany the cane (Arundo donax) and cattail (Typha latifolia) to give the necessary shelter.

The success of the environmental management started up years ago will continue to enrich the biodiversity of the ecosystem of Alicante Golf, whose merits for the protection and safeguarding of the environment have already been recognised on many occasions.

Documentos para descargar

Pato Colorado, elegida por la SEO/BirdLife Ave del Año 2008, locazilada en Alicante Golf

Plan de rescate de la arboleda autóctona de Alicante Golf

Plan de retirada de especies exóticas invasoras en Alicante Golf