Bird Watching

With over 350 resident and migratory species, the small island of Madeira is one of the unsung bird watching destinations of Europe.

Madeira can be roughly divided into four contrasting habitats: the UNESCO-protected laurisilva forests of the east, the high-altitude serra shrublands in the west, a wild-north coast which the Atlantic has been battering for five million years, and an extremely dynamic river network which imposes itself on every region of the island. Local birdwatching experts Catarina Correia-Fagundes and Hugo Romano are passionate naturalists, and their knowledge of the birds, animals and plant life across all the habitats of the Madeiran archipelago is second-to-none.

Tours are relaxed with a friendly atmosphere – never rushed, and always with plenty of time for detailed observations. Half-day tours are a pleasant introduction to Madeira’s endemic land birds. Focusing on the southeast of the island, you’ll observe Trocaz pigeons, the Madeira firecrest, Berthelot’s pipits and Atlantic canaries. A full-day tour adds in the northeast and a chance to sight the Madeira chaffinch, Plain swifts and Spectacled warblers.

Catarina and Hugo also offer specialist tours: their Zino’s Petrel Expedition is the ultimate Western Palearctic pelagic trip – three afternoons at sea with excellent opportunities to photograph Zino’s petrels, Fea’s, Bulwer’s and Storm petrels, and Cory’s shearwaters. Their Zino’s Petrel Night Expedition takes close to the breeding grounds around Madeira’s highest peaks – listening to their calls and learning more about the work to protect this rare and unique species. Numbers are limited on these specialist trips – give our team a call and we’ll check the upcoming dates with Catarina.

Our most popular trip combines cetaceans and seabirds – a two-hour boat tour off the beautiful Sao Lourenco peninsula observing Cory’s and Manx shearwaters, Bulwer’s petrels and Madeira’s resident populations of Atlantic-spotted dolphins and Sperm whales.