It was a tough pelagic as the ocean swell and waves made it quite choppy and the wind was just about right for the seabirds which is not so comfortable on us... But we had excellent views of the petrels and storm petrels and even a Barolo's shearwater came to the chum and quite close to the boat! As usual, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were watched everyday while Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus only in the first 2 days.

28th May 2025 - NE wind between 12 and 14 knots with gusts of 17- 20 knots. 1.5 meter waves from NE
2 Pterodroma sp. - on the way up
2 Barolo’s Shearwater Puffinus baroli - 1 on the way up and 1 that came to the slick and close to the boat
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
2 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro

Our Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expeditions have gotten off to a great start! Despite some challenging ocean conditions, we've successfully observed all of our target seabird species.
As expected, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii have been daily sightings. Additionally, the Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus has also been a consistent presence this time of year.

23rd May 2025 - 1.5 meter oceanic swell from NE, 1 meter wave from NNE and wind between 8 and 12 knots from NE
Barolo’s Shearwater Puffinus baroli - on the way up but very difficult observation with the bird flying away and disappearing in the waves but by the size and behaviour it must have been P. baroli
8 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
3 Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
5 European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira at same time on the slick for about 3 min and then a 3rd one joined for at least 5 more minutes. At least 2 of them kept flying around the chum for quite a while
2 Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus

May started with the Madeira flower festival but in what concerns to sustainability, we'll just tell you that on the flower parade there were a few dozen of ballons released... :(
Anyway, May this month bring us some interesting bird species to watch despite the destruction of habitats all around the islands of the archipelago!

26th of May 2025 at Santa Cruz - observed by Doug & Rachel (USA)
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

25th of May 2025 off Funchal - reported by Mike (BEL)
Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus

20th of May 2025 at Caniçal
2 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

12th of May 2025 at Caniçal
Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flava
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

April is usually a good month for migratory birds to be blown off their course and into the islands of Madeira archipelgo... Let's see what the wind will blow our way:

30th of April 2025 at Caniçal
Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flava
2 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

22nd of April 2025 off Caniçal
10 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
>15 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

14th of April 2025 at Ponta São Lourenço
Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator
3 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

March, the Spring month! Although some of the resident bird species in Madeira are already feeding their chicks by the begging of March, this should be the best month to observe the breeding birds singing and displaying! Now let's see which vagrant species will pass by...

31st of March 2025 at Madeira airport - reported by Erik (DEN)
6 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

30th of March 2025 at Lugar de Baixo - sightings by Michel (NED)
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

At Machico
16 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Sanderling Calidris alba

26th of March 2025 off Porto Moniz - observed by Michel (NED)
2 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus - both flying Northwards

23rd of March 2025 at Camacha
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

22nd of March 2025 at Paul da Serra
Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus

At São Vicente - reported by Michel (NED)
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

At Funchal harbour - photographed by Michel (NED)
Iceland gull Larus glaucoides
Ring-billed gull Larus delawarensis

Madeira Archipelago offers good conditions to birdwatchers, not only in terms of breeding birds but also vagrant bird species. Though there are only 47 breeding species to these islands, about half of them are endemic species or subspecies to Madeira or to Macaronesia region (Madeira, Azores and Canary Islands).

Madeira has three endemic species: Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz which is associated with the native forest of Madeira: the Laurel Forest; Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis, normally observed on forested areas and the rare Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira, a threatened seabird that nests on the highest mountains of Madeira. Regarding the Macaronesia bird species, one may observe Fea's/Desertas Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta, Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro, Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria, Berthelot's Pipit Anthus berthelotti and the Plain Swift Apus unicolor.

One interesting feature of birding in Madeira is the high number of endemic subspecies from which the ornithological highlights go to the bluish Madeiran Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs maderensis and the darker colours of Barn Owl Tyto alba schmitzi and Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea schmitzi.

However, seabirds are the major attraction for birdwatchers because there are several colonies of world importance. In Madeira archipelago one may find 8 breeding seabirds species namely the rare Pterodromas (P. feae and P. madeira), Barolo's Shearwater Puffinus baroli, Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro and White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca. This last species being confined to breed in Selvagens Islands but observed offshore on Wind Birds' Pelagic Expeditions.

A pelagic trip on Madeira or seawatching from the coast gives you also the chance to observe some vagrant birds like Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis, Great Skua Stercorarius skua, Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus or European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus, between others;

Join one of Wind Birds tours and you will see not only Madeira birds but also amazing landscapes which are out of the common tourist routes!