On the very first days of April the wind blowed strongly from west quadrant and rain fell heavily... As this is a migration month, lets see which vagrant species were blown off their route. Meantime, since the 4th of April Wind Birds is running its Zino's Petrel Night Expedition to hear and see the silhouettes of the rare Pterodroma madeira with success!

On the 4th of April 2014 Wind Birds started running their Zino's Petrel Night Expeditions to hear and sometimes see the silhouettes of this rare endemic seabird. On this first night tour of 2014 there was just a bit of moon though the night was very clear, there was no wind and we heard more than 70 calls! This means that Zino's Petrels Pterodroma madeira are back from their migration and are already visiting their breeding colony!

March is here and Spring is arriving to Madeira! This is a good season to start watching the first land birds blown off course from their migration between Africa and Europe.

31st March 2014 at Santa Cruz
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

at Lugar de Baixo - sightings by Ton and Annemiek Eggenhuizen (NED)
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

at Ponta de São Lourenço - reported by Ton & Annemiek Eggenhuizen
Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides

This month Wind Birds is celebrating 10 years old and so birds and birdwatchers are all invited to come to Madeira and enjoy our nature and good weather!

26th February 2014 at Funchal harbour - reported by Martin Lewis (UK)
2 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
7 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

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 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs madeirensis 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!