We usually start the pelagics later in May to guarantee Desertas' Petrels which are the latest ones to arrive to Madeira, normally between mid and end of May. But April and early May tend to be good periods for migratory seabirds passing by. On this first Zino's Petrel pelagic expedition of 2026 we did not get Pterodroma deserta but we got the 2nd record of Pterodroma hasitata for Madeira! Everyday we got good number of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis, Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii.

16th May 2026 - 2 meter long period swell with 12 knots of northeast wind
2 meter swell from North and 12 knots NE wind
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
4 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
3 Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus

15th May 2026 - 1 meter waves from northeast and wind shifting from NNE to NE and blowing from between 3 and 12 knots
4 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 on the way to the chumming position
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
4 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
2 Common tern Sterna hirundo

Atlantic Spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis - in 4 different occasions

14th May 2026 - 2 meter swell from northwest, 1 meter wind waves from north and 14 knots of north wind which made the trip quite rough
Several Common tern Sterna hirundo
2 Probable Zino’s - too quick or too far to confirm ID
3 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Black-caped petrel Pterodroma hasitata - it came twice to the chum
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Sooty shearwater - only watched by some of the participants as it flew far and away from the boat

Stripped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba

May is the month of uncertainties, like its name suggests - it may rain, it may be sunny, it may be cold or it may be hot... we just never know! It is similar with the birds, although it is migration time we may get some raritites or we may not!

14th of May 2026 at Parque Santa Catarina in Funchal - observed by Donato (POR)
8 Yellow-crowned Bishop Euplectes afer

At São Vicente - observed by Michel (NED)
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

13th of May 2026 at Caniçal
2 Sand Martin Riparia riparia

At Machico
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

12th of May 2026 at Funchal promenade
European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur - photographed by Amanda

April's a good month for migration! Let's see which species are blown out of their migratory route into this small piece of land and concrete, called Madeira...

27th of April 2026 at Lugar de Baixo
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides

24th of April 2026 at Santa Cruz
8 Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
3 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

23rd of April 2026 at Caniçal
6 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
2 Barn swallow Hirundo rustica

At Santo da Serra reservoir
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus

At Santa Cruz
20 Barn swallow Hirundo rustica

The winds have been blowing quite strongly from the north, accelerating over the island's tips. This may interfere with bird flights, and it has certainly been affecting local air traffic. Let's see what March will bring to Madeira in terms of vagrant bird species:

29th of March 2026 at Machico
Citrine wagtail Motacilla citreola - 2nd record for Madeira! The 1st was observed in Lugar de Baixo, September 2011.
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
7 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
3 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
5 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

27th of March 2026 at Santo da Serra Reservoir
European Herring Gull Larus argentatus

At Caniçal
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

26th of March 2026 at Camacha
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

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!