Trip Report - Madeira 18-25 March 2002

The following birds were seen on a holiday taken on Madeira on the above dates. The holiday was NOT a birding holiday, but I carried a pair of binoculars most of the time, and the list should represent the birds which most visitors to the island should see on a trip taken at the above time of year.

We stayed at the Vila Vicencia, in the hotel zone in western Funchal. The room had a north-east facing balcony overlooking an area of mature gardens surrounded by the low-rise Vila, and two high-rise hotels.

All scientific species names and distribution data are taken from BWP (The Birds of the Western Palearctic, concise edition, OUP, 1998). Estimates of degree of abundance are from my own observations, and can be very different from that given in BWP.

Little Egret, Egretta garzetta. One flew in to the pond in the Jardim de Santa Catarina on the Avenida Do Infante. This bird was in full breeding plumage.

Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea. One bird seen flying in to a creek on the south coast.

Both of the above herons are noted in BWP as annual accidentals.

Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo. Commonly seen at higher altitudes.

Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus. Common, seen every day, sometimes in Funchal.

Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres. Common around Funchal harbour.

Yellow-legged Gull, Larus cachinnans. Very common, and the only gull seen. Some hundreds of birds were seen at a site high in the mountains, on the plateau of the Paul da Serra.

Terns were distantly seen on a boat-trip from Funchal, and later in the harbour, but identification to species was not possible. However, they were probably Common Tern, Sterna hirundo.

Feral Pigeon/Rock Dove, Columba livia. Abundant. All populations noted around the island had a feral component.

Barn Owl, Tyto alba. One  seen from apartment balcony at about 8:30 P.M.

Plain Swift, Apus unicolor. Increasingly seen as the week progressed. Identification based solely on infrequent calls, described in BWP as being identical to Common Swift, which doesn't occur on Madeira. Pallid Swift not noted.

Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica. Not recorded in BWP as occurring on Madeira, but certainly seen on two occasions. The first, a single bird on the 21st, was seen hawking for insects at the "cliff-face" of a hotel opposite our apartment. On the second occasion, several birds were seen at a mountain pass in the eastern half of the island.

Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea. Seen on several occasions in Funchal gardens (e.g. Jardim de Sao Francisco on the Avenida Arriaga), at a fresh water seepage on a beach in Funchal harbour, and the trout farm at Ribeira Frio.

European Robin, Erithacus rubecula. Heard several times, including once from the apartment balcony, but seen only once, in the trees of a small farm in the hills.

Eurasian Blackbird, Turdus merula. Abundant.

Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla. Common, seen most days from the apartment balcony. One aberrant male seen with black colouration spreading down onto chest.

Firecrest, Regulus ignicapillus madeirensis (sub-species restricted to Madeira). Heard several times but seen only once on a levada walk from Rabaçal through the relict laurisilva forest. A neighbour reported seeing 10 or twelve in the "Madeiran Flora" section of the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens.

Spanish Sparrow, Passer hispaniolensis. One female seen nest-building in a tree from the apartment balcony, early in the week, but not seen again.

Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs maderensis (sub-species restricted to Madeira). Seen at Ribeiro Frio and other hill sites.

Canary, Serinus canaria. Common. Heard or seen every day from apartment.

European Greenfinch. Scarce. Single birds seen on two days from balcony.

European Goldfinch. Scarce. Single bird seen from visitor viewpoint at Cabo Girão. BWP lists as "common or very common".

 

Useful links.

http://biobase.dk/~david-c/madeira98.htm
http://biobase.dk/~david-c/madeira-dean.htm
http://hometown.aol.com/johnraby/Mad.html
http://www.wheatear.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/madeira_1999.htm

Other bird interest.

The Jardim Dos Loiros (Parrot Gardens), next to the Jardim Botãnico, in the north-eastern suburbs of Funchal, has a good collection of parrots, parakeets, lovebirds, and other tropical birds from around the world. However, the condition of some of the birds was terrible. One parrot had a broken beak, and feather plucking and other stress-induced behaviour was common. Not for the sensitive.....


24 July 2006

© Steve Bulman

steve@stevebulman.f9.co.uk