It's been 21 years since Wind Birds started its operation! It has not been an easy ride, specially in what concerns to Nature as there is not much awareness or conservation in Madeira. We have witnessed and suffer with loss of habitat from bad planning and governemnt decisions such as overbuilding, forest fires, the killing of Trocaz Pigeons... But we are still here fighting for the conservation of the fauna & flora of Madeira archipelago...
Let's see which bird species decided to visit Madeira to celebrate our 21st anniversary with us:
25th of February 2025 at Around Porto Santo's Golf Course - observed by Manuel (POR)
Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violacea
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
2 American Wigeon Anas americana
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola
3 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
3 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
2 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
4 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
16 Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Ring-billed gull Larus delawarensis
Common chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
23rd of February 2025 at Funchal harbour - reported by Kevin (UK)
2 Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
>10 Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus intermedius
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
20th of February 2025 at Camacha
2 Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
May this year be greener, cooler and much more peaceful than the previous ones! And despite all these climate changes let's hope for some interesting bird species to visit Madeira and that the
breeding ones keep coming in the same numbers as they used to.
31st of January 2025 at Camacha
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
At São Gonçalo
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
At Caniçal
7 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
2 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
At Santa Cruz
>15 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
27th of January 2025 at Camacha
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
At Santa Cruz
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
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...
30th of December 2024 at Camacha
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
29th of December 2024 at Santa Cruz harbour
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
2 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Off Porto Moniz - reported by Michel (NED)
Great Skua Stercorarius skua
28th of December 2024 at Paul da Serra reservoir - photographed by Michel (NED)
Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
25th of December 2024 off Porto Moniz - observed by Michel (NED)
Great Skua Stercorarius skua
24th of December 2024 off Porto Moniz - seawatched by Michel (NED)
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus
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