Madeira, Portugal

For those who enjoy exploring, unwinding, and being in nature, Madeira is the ideal vacation spot. One of the most picturesque islands in Europe, Madeira, is also one of the top places for bird watchers on the continent. Numerous species are indigenous to this island and are only found there.

The Madeira Archipelago provides excellent opportunities for birdwatchers, in terms of both breeding and migrant bird species. There are just 47 breeding species on these islands, but of them, nearly half are indigenous to Madeira or the Macaronesia region (Madeira, Azores, and Canary Islands).

The abundance of endemic subspecies is one of the most interesting features when birdwatching in Madeira. In which the highlights of the ornithology include the blue Madeiran Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs maderensis and the darker colors of Barn Owl Tyto alba schmitzi and Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea schmitzi.

Seabirds, on the other hand, are what birdwatchers are most drawn to because they have numerous important global colonies. The rare Pterodromas, Barolo's Shearwater (Puffinus baroli), Madeiran Storm-petrel (Octodroma Castro), and White-faced Storm Petrel (Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca) are among the eight breeding seabird species that can be found in the Madeira archipelago. On Wind Birds' Pelagic Expeditions, this last species was seen offshore despite being restricted to the Selvagens Islands for breeding.