Full Day Birdwatching Tour - West Madeira Island

Funchal, Portugal

If you want to learn about Madeira Island's natural treasures, don't join a crowded tour, join this full day Birdwatching tour with up to only eight participants. See Madeira's primitive endemic birds, indigenous forest and impressive mountains, all of which are surrounded by the Atlantic ocean.

First stop will be on a valley surrounded by Madeira's indigenous forest - the Laurel Forest, to search for the Trocaz Pigeon. Next stop is on a high place where the ancient fetid laurels are shelters for Madeira Firecrests and Madeira Chaffinches.

Next you will descend to sea level, for lunch, where you will dine on a nice fish or meat meal. Highly recommended is the tuna fish or the scabbard fish or, if you do not like fish, maybe the grilled steak with mushrooms. After lunch a short scenic walk for a good digestion and, if it is summer, to sea watch some seabirds.

A 30 minute ride to reach the most western part of Madeira, a lovely place to watch Canaries, Berthelot's Pipits, Buzzards, Kestrels and with luck, some migrants.

Last stop will be on the south coast of the island, on a fresh water lagoon near the sea, a beautiful spot for migrant waders, Moorhens and Coots and, if it is summer maybe see the rare Roseate Tern among Common Terns and Yellow-legged Gulls.

If you hope to find as many species as you can in one day this will be the perfect tour for you as you are able to see most of the Madeira species and subspecies. This is not only a Birdwatching tour but also a flora and sightseeing tour as the places visited have very beautiful landscapes and are full of natural history.

Traveler Reviews

Review by: John W	June 2011
If i had to rate this trip on the number or variety of birds seen it would rate a 1 star, but maybe they knew i was coming and flew away. The guide "wind birds", worked hard taking us from place to place but remained spectacularly unsuccessful. Apart from a wandering wader and a few terns that was it. However the scenery around the island was great, and being only a small group of 5 made it very comfortable. Would i do this trip again? No.