Although it is already November, air temperatures are still above 22ºC in Madeira and winds are mostly blowing from the south quadrant which is not so common... Let's see if there uncommon weather conditions will blow some uncommon birds into this small archipelago:

25th of November 2025 at Caniçal
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

17th of November 2025 at Camacha
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

9th of November 2025 at São Vicente - sightings by Michel (NED)
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - male

at Machico
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

8th of November 2025 at Ribeira Brava
Great White Egret Ardea alba

Off Porto Moniz - observed by Michel (NED)
11 Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus

October brough the autumn weather and maybe with it can also blow some vagrant birds out of their migratory course and into this piece of land (still) called Madeira (which means "wood" in Portuguese). It's a shame to see so much construction and destruction of green areas. One day, they might have to change the name of the island from "Wood" to "Concrete"!

31st of October 2025 off Porto Moniz - reported by Michel (NED)
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster - an adult flying west
9 Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus

30th of October 2025 at Caniçal
3 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe

At Funchal
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

19th of October 2025 at Machico
2 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
2 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

It's that time of year again when summer is ending and the birds start their winter migration... So let's see which bird species will be blown off their course into Madeira:

28th of September 2025 at Caniçal harbour
Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
Sanderling Calidris alba
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
14 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

26th of September 2025 at Ponta São Lourenço - photographed by Hans (NED)
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

25th of September 2025 at São Vicente - reported by Hans (NED)
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

17th of September 2025 at Caniçal
5 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe
3 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

What a successful conclusion of our pelagic birding season! On our final outing, we hit the perfect time and location to witness a spectacular migration of Skuas. After deploying our chum, birds seemed to fall from the sky, creating an incredible spectacle.It was a challenge to count and identify all the birds on the chum slick simultaneously, but it was an unforgettable show of Skuas, along with four Desertas Petrels! As always, Bulwer's Petrels Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's Shearwaters Calonectris borealis were consistently present throughout the afternoons.

27th August 2025 - North wind up to 14 knots. 3 meter waves from NNW
23 Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 2 on the way up and 4 at the same time on the chum
10 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
6 Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
11 Common tern Sterna hirundo
5 Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea
Pomarine skua Stercorarius pomarinus
4 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

August, despite being a summer month, sometimes brings interesting bird species to Madeira as some birds begin their migration. We were excited that a White-rumped Sandpiper was spotted by the last day of July, and we're looking forward to seeing what new arrivals the winds might bring our way this month.

31st of August 2025 at Caniçal
Sanderling Calidris alba
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
4 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

29th of August 2025 at Lazareto
14 Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Off Porto Moniz - observed by Michel (NED)
13 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

28th of August 2025 at Machico
Ruff Philomachus pugnax

24th of August 2025 at Caniçal
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

Madeira Archipelago offers good conditions to birdwatchers, not only in terms of breeding birds but also vagrant bird species. Though there are only 47 breeding species to these islands, about half of them are endemic species or subspecies to Madeira or to Macaronesia region (Madeira, Azores and Canary Islands).

Madeira has three endemic species: Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz which is associated with the native forest of Madeira: the Laurel Forest; Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis, normally observed on forested areas and the rare Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira, a threatened seabird that nests on the highest mountains of Madeira. Regarding the Macaronesia bird species, one may observe Fea's/Desertas Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta, Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro, Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria, Berthelot's Pipit Anthus berthelotti and the Plain Swift Apus unicolor.

One interesting feature of birding in Madeira is the high number of endemic subspecies from which the ornithological highlights go to the bluish Madeiran Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs maderensis and the darker colours of Barn Owl Tyto alba schmitzi and Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea schmitzi.

However, seabirds are the major attraction for birdwatchers because there are several colonies of world importance. In Madeira archipelago one may find 8 breeding seabirds species namely the rare Pterodromas (P. feae and P. madeira), Barolo's Shearwater Puffinus baroli, Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro and White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca. This last species being confined to breed in Selvagens Islands but observed offshore on Wind Birds' Pelagic Expeditions.

A pelagic trip on Madeira or seawatching from the coast gives you also the chance to observe some vagrant birds like Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis, Great Skua Stercorarius skua, Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus or European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus, between others;

Join one of Wind Birds tours and you will see not only Madeira birds but also amazing landscapes which are out of the common tourist routes!