Fauna

Cortijo el Puerto is located in the area of Lora del Río, on the right bank of the Guadalquivir River, northeast of Seville. Lora has been identified with the Axatiana mentioned by the Roman writer Pliny the Elder. The town was taken from the Moors by Ferdinand III of Castile (1243), who gave it to the Knights of Malta. In this landscape, there are abundant steppe species such as the hawksbill, the common lark, as well as other aquatic species closer to the Vega such as mallards and herons, with examples such as kingfisher or the bee-eater bird. On the farm itself, some animal species live there all year round, such as owls, billiard birds, hares, partridges or quail; these all cohabit, increasing the natural balance and biodiversity at Cortijo El Puerto. The “native” avifauna (birds, mammals, reptiles, insects) increases and is related to the area. In addition we have invited native Utrera hens, donkeys in danger of extinction, and Merino sheep to live with us on the farm, not forgetting the ducks, geese and other aquatic species that share our ponds.

Welcome to our fauna and the Lora countryside!

BIODIVERSITY AS THE FARM’S FOUNDATION

In Cortijo el Puerto, nesting birds receive temporary visits from other birds who are wintering or passing through on their migrations … Beneficial insects such as lacewings, bees, the Bombus terrestris bumblebee, dragonflies, butterflies, wasps and ladybirds flutter through the rows of olive and almond trees alongside other beetles. Birds such as the robin or the insectivorous hoopoe fly across the starry sky of El Puerto freely without the danger of being hunted, nor are there any risks for the Arbequina hare, rabbits or quail. The dog is still the best friend of man and part of our Green crew. The hens, the Hojiblanca rooster, and the Chiquitita chicks are housed in mobile henhouses, while other birds such as the Picual partridge roam freely, eating wild seeds from our vegetation cover. The Koroneiki owl is in its olive tree and the traditional animals return to the olive grove. Donkeys, like Oliana, our jenny, regain their dignity by helping with the farm work, and the Cornicabra sheep return as a flock to graze in the field. There are also reptiles of land and water: lizards, geckos, turtles; in the ponds are born fish, frogs and other amphibians that also share this place with aquatic and domestic birds such as our Arbosana duck and some geese.