This wild island in the city center is the best spot for bird watching in Toulouse

It’s a little treasure of biodiversity that hides before our eyes, in the city center of Toulouse . Little known to Toulouse residents, the Sainte-Catherine islet is a protected nature reserve, where birds and vegetation coexist freely.

Under the Saint-Michel bridge in Toulouse, hides a small well-preserved biodiversity paradise. The Sainte-Catherine islet nature reserve is prohibited from public access thanks to a prefectural biotope protection decree. Thus, this unique place in Toulouse is a sanctuary of biodiversity in the heart of the city:nature grows wild there.

An oasis for many species

This small islet that appeared in the middle of the 20th century following floods and floods has become an urban refuge for our feathered neighbors. At any time of the day, nature lovers will have the chance to observe gulls wading in the water of the Garonne, under the surveillance of cormorants > perched in the trees. These colonies are often accompanied by other water-loving species: gray heron, kingfishers, terns... With the arrival of spring, we can also see black kites, returning from Africa.

"The emblematic species of the Sainte-Catherine islet is the night heron, which is rarer. It sometimes shows the tip of its beak at dusk To have the best chance of seeing it, you have to come in the evening or in the morning" explains Patrick Sauveplane, former Nature Animator in Occitanie

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An educational outing to discover nature in the city

With the naked eye or with binoculars, the different species are easily observed from the Saint-Michel bridge or the filter meadow. From the tip of the Ina, near the lock, you can benefit from a very calm view of the islet, and an orientation and explanation table. With friends or with the children, the next time you take a walk along the Garonne, take a few minutes to observe... Will you be able to recognize the different species?

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