Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Sylvia
Species: conspicilatta
Sub-species: orbitalis

Description
Spectacled Warbler is a subspecies endemic to Madeira, as its plumage is darker than that of the species found on mainland Europe. This small bird is easily identified by the contrast between its grey head and the white throat and abdomen. The head and back of the female are more brownish in colour. This bird is very difficult to observe as it is always hiding between the bushes, though its calling is very easy to distinguish it from other birds.

Distribution
Little is known about this subspecies, but nests have been found here and there all around the island of Madeira, in small groups and hard-to-find locations. The presence of this species on Porto Santo has not been confirmed.

Habitat
This bird is mainly found in very dense shrubby areas where it is rarely disturbed.

Curiosities
It is considered a “mystery” bird of Madeiran avifauna because almost nothing is known about it.

Madeiran name: Cigarrinho
Madeira Island resident breeder
Social: Solitary
Length: 12 cm
Status: Endangered

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Genus: Turdus
Species: merula
Sub-species: cabrerae

Description
The Blackbird of Madeira and Porto Santo differs from its congener on the mainland. It is darker and smaller, and it is, therefore, an endemic subspecies of Macaronesia, being found also in the Canaries. There is a great sexual dimorphism in the species. The male is of a uniformly black colour, with a yellow beak and eye ring. The body of the female is also dark, but more brownish, with small, lighter-coloured specks on the breast. The eyes and beak are dark.

Distribution
This is a very common bird throughout the whole of the island of Madeira, but there are not very many individuals on Porto Santo.

Habitat
The habitat of the Blackbird ranges from forest to urban areas, and includes farm lands, gardens and high-altitude vegetation. The only type of habitat where this species does not occur is in areas of no vegetation.

Breeding
The Blackbird generally builds its nest in trees, in the fork of the branches, using mud for the base and twigs for the structure. Eggs are generally laid between March and August, but the season varies with the altitude, as breeding occurs later at the higher altitudes. Eggs are varied in their colouration, 3 to 5 being laid at a time. The female is solely responsible for the incubation of the eggs, which lasts about 15 days. After the young have hatched, they are fed by both parents for about 20 days.

Madeiran name: Melro Preto
Madeira e Porto Santo Islands resident breeder
Social: Family groups
Length: 17 – 20 cm
Status: Secure

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Sylvia
Species: atricapilla
Sub-species: heineken/ obscura

Description
The subspecies (S. a. heineken) of Blackcap is endemic to Macaronesia, being easily identified by its loud song and non-musical calls, at times not unlike those of the Blackbird. Its body is grey, the back being darker than the inner part, and the males have a black cap, while the cap on the females is reddish-brown. There is also a melanistic variety of this species, whose colour is much darker, with all head black, due to a recessive gene, it is the (S. a. obscura) subspecies.

Distribution
The Blackcap is a very common bird on the island of Madeira, contrary to the other islands of the Archipelago, where it is considered a migratory bird.

Habitat
This bird does not have a specific habitat, but it can be generally said to inhabit relatively dense shrubby areas up to a maximum altitude of 1000 metres, being rarely found in the Laurel forest.

Breeding
It builds its nests in shrubs and lays 4 to 5 eggs of various shades of colour. The incubation is shared by the breeding pair, whose song is louder and more complete during this time, in defence of their territory. The young hatch from the eggs in about 15 days, and two weeks later they make their first flight.
Their European congener lays eggs twice a year, in April and in July.

Curiosities
According to legend, when a blackcap’s nest had 5 eggs in it, the last egg laid would be of the melanistic variety. This was to explain why the melanistic individuals were much less common than the non-melanistic birds.

Madeiran name: Toutinegra
Madeira Archipelago resident breeder
Social: Solitary
Length: 12 - 14 cm
Status: Secure

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Motacillidae
Genus: Anthus
Species: berthelotti
Sub-species: madeirensis

Description
A brownish bird with darker stripes that walks and runs a lot. It is a subspecies of the species from the Canaries (Anthus berthelotii berthelotii), being distinguished by its longer beak. Distinguishing between the sexes is not easy because there is only a slight variation in the plumage.

Distribution
It is distributed throughout almost all the islands of the archipelago of Madeira, except the Ilhas Selvagens, where the species from the Canaries is found. It is relatively common on Madeira and Porto Santo, but the number of individuals on the Ilhas Desertas is small.

Habitat
Berthelot’s pipit is associated with areas that are dry and very sparsely covered with vegetation, some next to the sea, and other areas at high altitudes.

Breeding
They nest on the ground in depressions, where there is little vegetation, with one or two breeding periods during which 3 to 5 eggs are laid.

Curiosities
In Madeira, the people in the country areas call it “Our Lady’s blackbird”, giving rise to the legend that the Berthelot’s pipit accompanied the Holy Family in their flight from the Holy Land to Egypt, with the mission of wiping out their footprints in the sand to avoid being followed by King Herod.

Madeiran name: Corre-caminhos
Madeira Archipelago (except Selvagens) resident breeder
Social: Solitary
Length: 15 - 17 cm
Status: Scarse/Localized

MADEIRA FIRECREST

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae/Regulidae
Species: Regulus madeirensis

Description
An endemic bird of Madeira, very small in size, it is easily identified by its crown stripe, yellow in the females, and orange-coloured in the males. It also has a dark eye-stripe with a white superciliary stripe, that mainly distinguishes the madeiran species from its european congenerous.

Distribution
The firecrest’s distribution is generalised, being found all around the island of Madeira, although not normally found on any other island of the archipelago.

Habitat
The Laurel forest, the mid- to high-altitude zones of heath and areas of indigenous vegetation are the most likely places to find the firecrest, which feeds on insects it finds on the leaves and branches.

Breeding
The firecrest builds hanging circular nests in bushes, using spider webs interwoven with small branches or moss.

Curiosities
The firecrest is the smallest bird of Madeira and Europe. It demonstrates unusual differences in relation to its congener on the mainland, so that in 2003, its status as a subspecies endemic to Madeira (Regulus ignicapillus madeirensis) was changed to that of a species.

Madeiran name: Bisbis
Madeira Archipelago resident breeder
Social: Small flocks
Length: 8 -8,5 cm
Status: Scarse/Localized

Also known as:
Madeira-Goldhähnchen (GER)
Roitelet triple bandeau (FRA)

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

TROCAZ PIGEON

Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Species: Columba trocaz (Heineken 1929)

Description
The also called Long-toed Pigeon is an endemic species of Madeira, it once existed in Porto Santo but nowadays is restricted to Madeira Island.
It is a dark grey corpulent pigeon with big red toes, an indistinct glossy silvery patch on neck-side, a visible white strike on the tail and red bill. The female is a little smaller than the male but it is not easy to distinguish them.

Distribution
The Trocaz Pigeon it is usually seen early in the morning in Laurel Forest areas and in some adjacent agricultural lands, where it looks for cabbages.

Habitat
The Laurel Forest on Madeira contains almost all of the Trocaz Pigeon's natural food resources and it is essential to the survival of the species. Its habitat is threatened by fires and pigeons are affected by shooting and predation by rats.

Breeding
This Madeira species builds its nest in small and discreet caves on the rocks or sometimes in trees but these are more vulnerable to rain and wind damages. During all year the female lays one single egg or sometimes two, both parents brood it and take care of the chick when it borne. The population of the Trocaz Pigeon is considered stable and estimated at 7,000 individuals.

Some background
The Trocaz Pigeon (Columba trocaz), an endemic bird of Madeira that lives on the northern slopes of mountains and in some secluded places of the southern coast of the island, and which is characteristic of the Laurel forest, was first described in 1829 by Heineken.

In the past, the also known as Long-toed Pigeon was highly affected by the destruction of its habitat. Today this species isn't endangered anymore, because all Laurel areas have been considered Integral or Partial Nature Reserves thanks to the jurisdiction of the Madeira Natural Park.

Although this species appears associated to the Laurel forest because it feeds from the berries of the big laurel trees and the leaves and flowers of other small plants, the Long-toed Pigeon is frequently observed in the cultivated lands near the forest, where it seeks food and usually damages crops, especially cabbages.

For this reason the Trocaz Pigeon became unpopular and was hunted by the population. In 1984 and 1985, the authorities were pressured into authorizing the hunting of this species due to the damage they had made on the cabbage patches. This went on until 1989, but since then the species has gained a strict protection status.

During the decades in which these birds where victims of poisoning and killing, the population size was drastically reduced, and some authors say that in 1982 there were only 500 birds and in 1985 they were around 1000. After hunting was considered illegal, the first census with a complete and specific methodology was done in 1986 and from the results it was concluded that there were about 2700 birds. After that, this type of study continued and was done regularly every four years. According to the 1995 census, the population consisted of about 10400 birds, in 1999 more than 8400 and in 2003 only 7000 birds.

Even though the hunting and poisoning of these birds has been considered illegal, and the population has become relatively numerous, it is still subject to a conservation program, for its eggs and nestlings are still constantly threatened by rats.

Madeiran name: Pombo Trocaz
Madeira Archipelago resident breeder
Social: Flocks
Length: 39 cm
Status: Vulnerable/localised

Also known as:
Long-toed Pigeon (ENG)
Madeira Laurel Pigeon (ENG)
Silberhalstaube (GER)
Madeirataube (GER)
Pigeon Trocaz (FRA)
Madeiraduva (SWE)
La Paloma de Madeira (ESP)
Colomba di Madeira (ITA)
Trocazduif (NED)
Madeiradue (DAN)

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

ZINO'S PETREL

Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Procellariidae
Species: Pterodroma madeira (Mathews, 1934)

Description
Zino's Petrel is an endemic to the island of Madeira.
This is a small seabird. The wings and back are almost black, with white underparts and a grey tail. It has an incomplete breast band and a delicate bill, which is a distinguishing feature when compared to Fea's Petrel. It has a rapid flight, sweeping up in the wind and then rapidly down again with a marked “W” angulation of the wings. It feeds at sea and from analysis of vomit; squid, small fish and surface crustaceans make up part of the diet.

Habitat
This species is only known on and around the breeding area. They come inshore only at night and nest in the high central mountain massif. Where they go in the non-breeding season is not known. Pterodromas can be seen at sea of Madeira, but it is almost impossible to distinguish between Zino's and Fea's Petrel unless they pass very near when an educated guess can be made. The comparative bill size is the most distinguishing feature.

Breeding
Breeding occurs in burrows on ledges in the high central mountain massif at about 1,600m. These ledges are not accessible to sheep and goats, which until recently overgrazed the area. About 40% of the flora on the breeding ledges is endemic.
The breeding birds return in late March and clean the burrows. The rudimentary nests are made with bits of grass in a chamber at the end of a burrow which may be 2m long and usually has an “elbow”, making access difficult. A single white egg is laid between mid-May and mid-June with hatching occurring at the end of July or beginning of August. The young fledge during the first three weeks of October.
With the discovery of a new breeding ledge it is now estimated that there are 65-80 breeding pairs

Some background on Pterodoma madeira, Zino's Petrel

“Zino's Petrel, Pterodroma madeira, was first handled by the Priest Ernesto Schmitz in 1903, when a bird was brought to him from the mountains above Santo António. He had become a well established naturalist and collector with a wide experience in ornithology. Despite this and rather surprisingly, he miss-identified the bird as what we now call Fea's Petrel, Pterodroma feae, known to breed on Bugio, from where he had already collected several examples.

Padre Schmitz left Madeira for the Holy Land in 1908 and Pterodroma madeira, Zino's Petrel (as it is now known) was lost from sight of ornithologists, so much so, that by the late 50's many thought it to have become extinct.

In 1963, the Museu Municipal do Funchal, organised a scientific trip to the Selvagem islands. On this trip, , amongst others were two French ornitologists as well as Paul Alexander Zino (Alec) and his son Frank. These two Frenchmen awakened the interest in ornithology of Alec and Frank Zino.

Over the following years the Zinos and their French friends carried out many studies on the birds of the Archipelago.

In 1967/8 Alec Zino and the French ornithologists made several trips to the area directly above Curral das Freiras to see if they could hear the calls of Zino's Petrel, but with no success. The idea that the birds had become extinct was again put forward.

Alec Zino then reasoned that if a man of Schmitz's experience had not noted the difference between Zino's and Fea's Petrel, because they were so similar, even having them in the hand, then maybe their call was also similar.

They started to interview shepherds from the area of Curral das Freiras and Areeiro. To these men he played the recordings he had made on Bugio. After many interviews he eventually found one man who said he knew the sounds. This was Lucas, who lived in Curral das Freiras and identified the sound as the wailing of the souls of shepherds who had died in the mountains.

Lucas was able to tell them where he had heard these sounds and so, they walked down the path from Pico do Areeiro at night and eventually heard the sound they had longed to hear. Zino's Petrel was not extinct and we had rediscovered the area where it was breeding.

From 1984 onwards, regular night visits and observations were made at Areeiro and the breeding ledges visited, where signs of rats were noted.

In 1985, an egg, eaten by rats was found. There was no successful breeding.
The first Zino's Petrel ever ringed.was on the 12th June 1986, caught at night and ringed with ring Nº. J01150.

Examination of the nests on the breeding ledges in the summer of 1986 showed that none of the young had survived, probably predated by rats.

By the end of 1986, Alan Buckle and Andy Swash had worked out a system for protecting the birds from the rats and came out for a site inspection in 1987. They were amazed by the number of rats in the area and during their week in Madeira drew up a rat control scheme.

The group of people and institutions who had been working on the matter for years thus organised themselves into the Freira Conservation Project (FCP).

Since 1987 nests were controlled annually, many chicks were ringed and, as a result of the rat control carried out by FCP, by the last count in 2004, there was already nearly 80 couples of this species.”

Reference: Doctor Francis Zino

Madeiran name: Freira da Madeira
Length: 32 – 34 cm
Status: Rare/Endangered
Seasonality in Madeira: From end of March to early September though chicks only leave the nest by October

Also known as:
Madeira Petrel
Madeira Sturmvogel (GER)
Freira, Zino-donsstormvogel (NED)
Pètrel de Madère (FRA)
Pterodroma di Madeira, Petrello di Madeira (ITA)
Petrel Freira (ESP)
Madeiranviistäjä (FIN)
Madeira tormilind (STO)
Madeirapetrel (DEN)
Madeirapetrell (NOR) (SWE)
Madeiramizunagidori (JAP)
Brekadrúði (ICE)
Petrel maderski (POL)

Recommend Tours to watch this species:
Zino's Night Expedition
Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition