Madeira Birdwatching Half Day Tour

Join birdwatching and sightseeing on an easy going half-day tour! Observe Berthelots Pipit, Rock Sparrow, Atlantic Canary, Madeira Firecrest and Common Waxbill and admire nice sceneries of southeast Madeira.

Madeira Island, Portugal

A pleasant introduction to birdwatching, to the birds of Madeira and to the southeast of the island.
- Price
  
  60 EUR per person (>10 years old)
  50 EUR per child (1-10 years old)
- Target species
  
  Madeira Firecrest, Berthelot’s Pipit, Atlantic Canary, Grey Wagtail, Rock Sparrow & Common Waxbill
- Itinerary
  
  Southeast of Madeira, from sea level up to 700 meters of altitude (2300 feet), though the itinerary is dependent on weather conditions, so it may vary.
- Schedule
  
  Pick up start around 9:00 and drop off is around 13:00. Check availability during your stay.

Highlights

5 of the endemic bird species and subspecies of Madeira and Macaronesia
Visit nice places with interesting aspects of geology and flora
Friendly, local tour leaders with publications on Madeira ornithology
Inclusions

Pick up and drop off at the same place
Use of quality telescope & binoculars (shared by group), guide books
English and Portuguese speaking ornithologists
Friendly advice

Bring a jacket which is always useful for the altitude cold, a hat and a bottle of water
Group size

Minimum people to run the trip: 2
Maximum group size: 8
Staff to Guest ratio: 1/4
Meeting point

City centers of Funchal, Caniço, Santa Cruz and Machico. As long as your hotel is not too difficult to access due to traffic, very narrow roads or controlled entrance, pick up is at the hotel, otherwise it will be at a meeting point close by. For other locations, please contact us.

This birding tour is ideal for all ages as it is mainly by car through the Southeast of Madeira, with short and easy walks on each spot where several endemic bird species and subspecies of Madeira and Macaronesia can be observed in their natural habitat.

From sea level up to 600 meters of altitude you have the chance to observe native and migratory birds, some butterflies, indigenous and exotic species of plants and trees while sightseeing out of normal tourist routes.

The places visited during this tour always depend on weather conditions, so sometimes we might visit different places in order to observe the bird species aimed.

First stop is at Caniçal where we look for the endemic Berthelot's Pipit Anthus berthelotii madeirensis, Kestrel Falco tinnunculus canariensis and, if we are lucky, the secretive Rock Sparrows Petronia petronia petronia or the scarce Spanish Sparrows Passer hispaniolensis.

Then a visit to a rivermouth is a good birdwatching spot for Grey Wagtails Motacilla cinerea schmitzi, Plain swifts Apus unicolor, Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria and some vagrant waders and waterfowl. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis parva and Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild are also likely to be observed.

Up at 800 meters of altitude, in Santo da Serra splendid gardens are the luxurious habitat of the skittish Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis, the bluish Madeira Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs madeirensis, the Robin Erithacus rubecula rubecula and the Greenfinch Carduelis chloris aurantiiventri on the top of the trees.

We started operating this Madeira birdwatching tour back in 2004 when Wind Birds was founded. It has been analysed and optimized regularly and we believe that is the ideal tour to get you introduced to Madeira avifauna.