Birdwatching in Madeira in April

Birdwatching in Madeira in April

Birdwatching in Madeira in April

April is a spring month and as such birds are either returning to their breeding grounds, displaying or even already matting! Zino’s Petrels, Madeira’s endemic seabird species start to return to their breeding grounds by end of March, that is why we only start the Zino’s Night Expeditions in April. Most of the breeding seabirds are present in April except for Bulwer’s Petrel which only arrive by end of April and Desertas’ Petrel - the last one to return from their migration by mid-May. As for land birds, although most of the species are resident all year round in Madeira, in April we start to watch Pallid swifts flying around and Roseate Terns return to their breeding colonies. April is also a good month to get some migratory birds diverted from their migration course and visiting Madeira. This may be the case for some birds of prey, warblers and some waders as well.

The breeding birds list for Madeira in April is: Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus granti Common Buzzard Buteo buteo buteo Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata - feral Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata - only in Porto Santo Pallid Swift Apus pallidus brehmorum Plain Swift Apus unicolor Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus - only in Porto Santo Rock Dove Columba livia European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur - probably extinct Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Canarian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus canariensis European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis parva European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris Eurasian Siskin Carduelis spinus Madeiran Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs maderensis Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina guentheri Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca - breeds only in Selvagens though is seen on offshore pelagic trips Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro - offshore bird, normally watched on the Zino’s Petrel Pelagic Expeditions Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea schmitzi Berthelot’s Pipit Anthus berthelotii European Robin Erithacus rubecula rubecula Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia petronia Common Quail Coturnix coturnix coturnix Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis - observed on Bird, dolphin & whale watching trips Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus - observed on Bird, dolphin & whale watching trips Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma madeira - offshore bird - at sea only seen on the dedicated pelagic expeditions Barolo’s Shearwater Puffinus baroli - very rare Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus - only in Selvagens Common Tern Sterna hirundo Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii Common Blackbird Turdus merula cabrerae Western Barn Owl Tyto alba schmitzi Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops - breeds only in Porto Santo Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata orbitalis Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla heineken