About Us

Wind Birds is a synonym for Catarina Correia-Fagundes and Hugo Romano, the couple who own and lead all of the Wind Birds' tours and sea trips. Since 2004, they have ignited Madeira Island's birdwatching industry and invested in a new activity for the tourism sector of the island. Their time is divided between nature and wildlife tours, research and conservation efforts on Madeira birds, and promoting birdwatching in the region. With over 19 years of experience leading successful birding and whale-watching trips, Catarina and Hugo are also authors of several scientific papers on Madeira birds and cetaceans.

History

  • In 2003, Madeira Wind Birds won the Entrepreneurs of the Future Award from Funchal's Chamber of Commerce for its innovative services for Madeira - at the time, it was still a business plan. The company was founded, licensed, and began operating birdwatching trips in 2004.

    Owned by a couple of naturalists, Catarina Correia-Fagundes and Hugo Romano, they are the Madeira expert tour leaders in birds, butterflies, and cetaceans. They are also passionate about all other living creatures that the island's nature holds.

  • Until 2009, their sea trips were in partnership with other boat operators. Since 2010, Wind Birds has been operating its pelagic expeditions and dolphin and whale watching trips with Catarina and Hugo as the crew responsible for the 11-meter-long Oceanic RHIB “Oceanodroma”.

    After seven years of activity, Wind Birds was awarded the João Borges 2010 Prize by the Mayor of Funchal for its exemplary practices in tourism, nature conservation, and marine/nautical activities. Wind Birds is thus an award-winning ecotourism company that embodies the principles of sustainable tourism, contributing to the conservation and interpretation of the natural heritage of Madeira's Archipelago.

Research and Conservation Projects

  • As a small ecotourism company that embraces the principles of sustainable tourism, Wind Birds is always willing to learn more, to develop its scientific knowledge about Madeira nature in order to provide its customers a memorable, knowledgeable and quality experience.

    This way Wind Birds contributes to the conservation and interpretation of Madeira's Archipelago's natural heritage through partnerships with science and conservation institutions as:

  • Madeira Natural History Museum

    Sharing observations data and taking specimens found at sea or at field for recovery (if alive) or research (if dead)

  • Freira Conservation Project

    Helping on research works, ringing, promoting and gathering donations for the protection of Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira and other seabirds.

  • OOM Madeira Oceanic Observatory

    Sharing knowledge and make Oceanodroma RHIB available for research works around Madeira.

Nature & Wildlife Tours

  • Scientific Publications

    To know a bit more about the research work of the owners and tour leaders of all Wind Birds tours, sea trips and pelagic expeditions, you can visit the page for each of them where it is listed their publications:

    Catarina Correia-Fagundes

    Hugo Romano

  • Schedules and availability

    Being just Catarina & Hugo leading the birding tours and whalewatching trips, tours schedules are always dependent on their availability (not to mention the weather conditions as well), as sometimes they may get groups that fill up their week or they may need to take a few days for research or even for their own holidays. So if you wish to book a tour with Wind Birds, please do it in advance so no one gets disappointed.