Birds – and ornithologists – flock to huge rubbish dump in Spain

White storks scavenging at a dump in Spain. Researchers say the birds eat a lot of plastic, rubber and toxic substances on the sites. Photograph: John Cancalosi/Alamy

A vast rubbish dump in southern Spain has become a magnet for ornithologists as thousands of storks, black kites and vultures make a stopover to feed on food waste before beginning their journey across the Strait of Gibraltar.

“It’s especially useful for carrying out a census, as with so many birds in one place it’s easy to count them and to read their rings,” said Jesús Pinilla of SEO/Birdlife in Andalucía.