Seasonally speaking we are almost entering winter but the maximum temperatures in Madeira coastal areas have been still above 24ºC which was not usual for early December...

7th of December 2024 at Lugar de Baixo - photographed by Roy (UK)
Great White Egret Ardea alba
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

First, our deepest sympathy to the loss of lives and homes in the south of Spain due to the extreme weather events. It is heartbreaking to watch the consequences of climate change!
Considering the rough weather events through the Western Palearctic in the 1st days of November and the ones that are still forming in the Atlantic ocean, one might expect some different bird species to be blown into Madeira but it is really scary to think if rainfall like that hits Madeira this winter, after last August fires which burnt a huge part of the central mountainous massif...

22nd of November 2024 at Lugar de Baixo - reported by Michel (NED)
Great White Egret Ardea alba
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

off Porto Moniz
679 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis - in only 2 hours of seawatching

21st of November 2024 off Porto Moniz - seawatched by Michel (NED)
440 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis
9 Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus

19th of November 2024 at Caniçal
14 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis

Reported by Ian (UK)
At Baía d'Abra
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

At Santana
Black Kite Milvus migrans

At Porto Moniz sightings by Michel (NED)
Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
328 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis
10 Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus
2 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus

18th of November 2024 at Fanal photographed by Neil (UK)
Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus - 1st record for Madeira

October should be an autumn month but temperatures in Madeira are still like summer... Migration should be on its way, so let's see which bird species will visit Madeira archipelago this month.

24th of October 2024 at Caniçal
5 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis

19th of October 2024 at São Vicente - observed by Hannu (FIN)
Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

18th of October 2024 at Lugar de Baixo
Little Crake Porzana parva - photographed by Hannu (FIN) - less than 5 records in the last 50 years!
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Although Madeira is not so attractive as it once was, due to fires, overbuilding and overcrowding, it might still work as a lifeline for some of the vagrant bird species that lost their way during migration...

27th of September 2024 at Faial
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

24th of September 2024 at Caniçal
3 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
3 Sanderling Calidris alba
14 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

15th of September 2024 off Porto Moniz - seawatching record by Michel (NED)
15 Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus - flying west

13th of September 2024 off Machico
2 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

Usually in August starts migration and depending on wind and weather conditions sometimes Madeira gets a few vagrant birds which were diverted from their migration course... Some seabirds species do pass close to Madeira coasts so one can expect to watch some Great shearwaters, Manx shearwaters and Skuas.

30th of August 2024 off Porto Moniz - seawatched by Michel (NED)
2116 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis

From the 14th to the 24th of August 2024 at Madeira central mountainous massif
Madeira has suffered forest fires for 10 days, burning at least 5 thousand hectares (50 million square meters) on the highest mountains and down some valleys in the centre of the island. Huge loss of habitat for many species of fauna and flora! We believe one of most affected species by these fires was (again) the threaten seabird Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira but it is still too early to know exactly how much it was loss from this endemic species.

20th of August 2024 at Caniçal harbour
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Sanderling Calidris alba
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

8th of August 2024 at Cabo Girão - photographed by Paul (UK)
Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides

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!