Madeira Birdwatching Full Day Tour

This 8 hour walking tour is the ideal birding tour to observe most of the endemic species of Madeira and to visit the non-touristy areas of the island in a comfortable way with very short and easy walks.

You will spend most of the morning searching for the Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz and Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis in a valley at the Northwest of Madeira surrounded by Laurel forest and beautiful mountains. If your holiday is between April and mid-September, there is also the chance to see Roseate Terns Sterna dougallii and Pallid Swifts Apus pallidus during this birding tour.

Then, you will enjoy lunch in Poto Moniz, where you may also observe Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria and Yellow-legged gulls Larus michahellis. After your three course meal you can go seawatching and try to spot Shearwaters and Petrels through a Swarovski telescope.

The afternoon depends on the weather but both places are good to watch the Berthelot's pipit Anthus berthelotii, Spectacled warbler Sylvia conspicillata orbitalis, Plain Swift Apus unicolor, Linnet Carduelis cannabina guentheri and Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa. You can also spot some migrant birds like the Grey Heron, Swallows, House Martins, Larks and the Northern Wheatear.

Your last stop will be to watch for any vagrant waders and ducks. You may also see some American birds like Sora Porzana carolina, Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria, White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis, American Wigeon Anas Americana and the Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis.

Start and end location may be: City centres of Machico, Santa Cruz, Caniço, Funchal, Cabo Girão and Ribeira Brava. If your hotel is not too difficult to access due to traffic, 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.