Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Carduelis
Species: carduelis
Sub-species: parva

Description
The Goldfinch, a Macaronésia subspecies, is easily identifiable by its bright, varied colours. The heads of the adult males and females are red, white and black in colour. Their bodies are brownish, the tail is black and the wings are black with a yellow wing-bar. Juveniles are differentiated by their light brown plumage and they have small dark speckles on their chests.

Distribution
This bird can be found from the sea-shore up to the high ground on both Madeira and Porto Santo islands. It is common to see mixed flocks of Goldfinches and Canaries.

Habitat
Goldfinches are found in several types of habitat, including cultivated areas, areas with creeping vegetation, patches of exotic or indigenous forest and the outskirts of human settlements.

Breeding
The nesting pair builds the nest using vegetation in trees together but it is the female who looks after the hatching of the eggs (four to six eggs per hatching; two hatchings per season) on her own between May and August. The eggs hatch two weeks after being laid and the young birds leave the nest two to three weeks later.

Madeiran name: Pintassilgo
Madeira and Porto Santo Islands resident breeder
Social: Flocks
Length: 12 – 13 cm
Status: Secure

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Carduelis
Species: chloris
Sub-species: aurantiiventri

Description
The overall colouring of the Greenfinch is greenish yellow and the bird has a stout, pale bill. The sexes are markedly different, with the male being greener than the female which has a browner colour. The tail is black with yellow edges, the chest and underside are yellowish and the feet are light pink. Greenfinches have a dark eye mask and, when in flight, clearly display yellow wing streaks.

Distribution
The Greenfinch is only found on the island of Madeira and the population is small.

Habitat
This species is generally found in open forest, gardens, cultivated areas and in zones with several layers of bushes and shrubs.

Breeding
The nest is cup shaped and is built in thick bushes or trees by the female. She looks after the incubation of the eggs on her own. This takes 12 to 14 days. The male helps with the feeding of the chicks. The nesting season is from April to July with two or three sets of eggs, four to six eggs each, being laid.

Madeiran name: Verdilhão
Madeira Island resident breeder
Social: Flocks
Length: 14 – 15 cm
Status: Vulnerable

MADEIRA BUZZARD

Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Buteo
Species: buteo
Sub-species: harterti

Description
The island subspecies can be distinguished from mainland and Azores Buzzards by differences in plumage and outline. The Buzzard is easily identifiable since it is larger than any other bird found in Madeira.
The Buzzard’s feet are yellow and feather-free. When the bird is in flight, small, lighter coloured bars on its rounded wings and on its tail feathers contrast with the bird’s overall dark tone. The Buzzard generally glides in wide circles, taking advantage of rising currents of warm air.

Distribution
The Buzzard occurs abundantly throughout the island of Madeira. Although it is also found in Porto Santo, the Buzzard is much less common. In the past, the Buzzard was also found on the Desertas islands. However, these birds disappeared at the time of the project for restoring the land habitat of the Deserta Grande island, in spite of the fact that the Buzzard was not a target species.

Habitat
Buzzards are found in different habitats such as zones of indigenous and exotic forest, areas with sparse or creeping vegetation, agricultural areas and zones with human settlements.

Breeding
The Buzzard nests high up, in densely vegetated ravines or in tall trees, so that it always has a wide field of view from the nest and can spot any approaching danger. The nesting pair starts building the nest in February and begins incubating the eggs (two or three) in mid-April / May. The young birds are ready to leave the nest three to four months later.

Madeiran name: Manta
Madeira and Porto Santo Islands resident breeder
Social: Family groups
Length: 50 – 56 cm
Status: Secure

Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species: tinuncullus
Sub-species: canariensis

Description
The smallest bird of prey on the archipelago, the Kestrel is able to hover for long periods. The species shows marked sexual dimorphism, with the female having brown upper parts with dark streaks on the head and tail while the male has a greyish head and tail. Both sexes have a brown, speckled chest, pointed wings with dark tips and a dark streak under the eyes.

Distribution
The Kestrel has a wide distribution, being found close to the sea and right up to the mountain summits. In recent years it has only been found on the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, although in the past Kestrels nested on the Desertas and Selvagens islands.

Habitat
It is found in a wide variety of habitats, such as indigenous and exotic forest areas, areas with creeping vegetation, open cultivated areas, inland and coastal cliffs and even on the outskirts of urban centres.

Breeding
Nests on rock ledges or in holes on rocky precipices; those birds living near the coast sometimes nest in tall palm trees. The nesting season starts in April with a single set of three to seven eggs being laid in May/June and ends in July when the young birds become independent.

Madeiran name: Francelho
Madeira and Porto Santo Islands resident breeder
Social: Family groups
Length: 27 – 33 cm
Status: Secure

Photo by: Hugo Romano

MADEIRA CHAFFINCH

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Fringilla
Species: coelebs
Sub-species: madeirensis

Description
The Chaffinch found in Madeira is an endemic subspecies.
There are marked differences between the sexes, with the male being more brightly coloured than the female which is rather subdued in colour. Both have white wing bars and white tail-sides, but the male is easily identified by its rosy breast, bluish crown and greenish-brown back. The female has a cream chest and brownish back.

Distribution
The Chaffinch is only found on the island of Madeira, at rather high elevations, being absent from the other islands in the archipelago.

Habitat
This species is found mainly in wooded zones, both indigenous and introduced forests, and is one of the most numerous species in the “Laurissilva” (the original forest of Madeira) and in heather grove areas. It is also found in cultivated areas, near rural housing and in areas with bushes and shrubs.

Breeding
The nest is cup shaped with an inner layer of feathers and is built by the female who looks after the incubation of the four to five eggs on her own. The eggs hatch in 12 to 15 days. The male bird helps to feed the chicks. The nesting season is from April to July and only one set of eggs is laid.

Curiosities
There are five endemic subspecies of Chaffinch in Macaronésia: one in Madeira (F.c.madeirensis), one in the Azores (F.c.morelettis) and three on the Canaries archipelago. In the Canaries there is also an endemic species, F.teydea.

Madeiran name: Tentilhão
Madeira Island resident breeder
Social: Flocks
Length: 14,5 – 16 cm
Status: Secure

Recommend Tours to watch this species:
Madeira half-day nature tour
Madeira nature fauna & flora tour

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passeridae
Genus: Passer
Species: hispaniolensis

Description
The Spanish Sparrow is a bird that was introduced into Madeira, and it is marked by an accentuated sexual dimorphism. The male has a cap the colour of chocolate, with a white stripe over the eye, the throat and breast being black. Its cheeks are white and there are white stripes on its black dorsum. The colour of the female is lighter and more uniform, a grey-brown colour, with a striped flank and darker wings. It also has a yellow superciliary stripe.

Distribution
The population distribution of this species covers the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. It used to be very abundant on Madeira, but its population has diminished drastically on the island, and it is difficult to find today. The species is quite abundant on Porto Santo.

Habitat
It is an anthrophilous species that uses the habitats made available in urban areas, such as gardens and public squares. It is also found in farming areas, mainly where abandoned fields coexist with creeping vegetation.

Breeding
This species breeds in large colonies, building its dome-shaped nest in trees,. The female lays from 3 to 7 eggs. The young hatch in 12 days, and they fed by the breeding pair for two weeks before leaving the nest. A breeding pair raises one to three broods between the months of April and July.

Curiosities
The Spanish Sparrow was introduced into the Island of Madeira from the Canary Islands, probably brought here by strong winds, or even by Man. Normally, a bird which comes from an area where it cohabited with many other species and arrives in a new area where it finds ideal conditions for survival becomes more aggressive and competitive than the local species. So, when the Spanish Sparrow arrived to this new habitat, it came across the Rock Sparrow and set about to drive it out, at least from the city of Funchal. This is one of the reasons given to explain the large decline in the population of the Rock Sparrow.

Madeiran name: Pardal Espanhol
Madeira and Porto Santo Islands
Social: Flocks
Length: 14 – 16 cm
Status: Secure

ROCK SPARROWS

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passeridae
Genus: Petronia
Species: petronia
Sub-species: madeirensis

Description
The Rock Sparrow is an endemic subspecies in Macaronesia.
Its identification is based principally on its grey-brown colour, the stripes on its head, its large, light-coloured beak, and the yellow patch below its throat. In flight, white tips show on the tail.

Distribution
This bird is not very abundant on the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo, as its population suffered a large decline around the decade of the 30’s, due to the arrival of the Spanish Sparrow. Along the south coast of Madeira, it is found only at the ends of the island, while in the north, it is more commonly seen in some of the villages and cultivated stream beds.

Habitat
This species is associated with lower elevations, where there is creeping vegetation, occurring as well on cliffs overlooking the sea and on farm lands.

Breeding
The Rock Sparrow does not breed in trees, but in the roofs of buildings and in holes in walls, where it builds its nest out of grass and feathers. It lays 5 to 6 eggs up to three times during the year. Nests have been found in February in Porto Santo, but its normal breeding season is between April and July.

Madeiran name: Pardal da Terra
Madeira and Porto Santo Islands
Social: Small flocks
Length: 15 – 17 cm
Status: Secure/Vulnerable

Recommend Tours to watch this species:
Madeira full-day birdwatching tour
Madeira half-day birdwatching tour