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

Although the wind conditions were quite good it seemed the bird species changed the areas where they usually are around... On the first 2 days we could not watch a proper Zino's Petrel with some light but enough wind on the North side of the island and on the 3rd day, with quite strong wind we could not find storm petrels but had a very displayable Zino's Petrel instead! If it weren't the good numbers of Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis it would have been a bit boring!

2nd August 2024 - NNE wind between 15 and 18 knots. 1.5 meter waves from the east
8 Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 4 on the way up
5 Pterodroma sp. - 3 on the way up
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Common tern Sterna hirundo

Short finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus

Fortunately the wind, ocean and general conditions improved and this pelagic was another successful one with Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis watched everyday and most of the other breeding seabirds also being attracted to the chum!

27th July 2024 - 2 to 5 knots of west wind which after 1 hour shifted to NE between 8 and 10 knots. Northeast waves up to 1 meter
3 Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 1 on the way up
Pterodroma sp. - 1 on the way up
6 Common tern Sterna hirundo
White-faced storm petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca

July, as a summer month does usually bring much vagrant birds to Madeira though with all these climate changes it is just "like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get!"

30th of July 2024 at Caniçal harbour
Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla

26th of July 2024 off Machico
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

25th of July 2024 at Caniçal harbour
Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla

21st of July 2024 at Lugar de Baixo - sighting by Sean (UK)
2 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

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!