Go Slow in Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura is the perfect location for a week of relaxed birding. Standing 100 kilometres off the coast of Morocco – and one of the two most easterly islands of this fascinating Atlantic archipelago – it enjoys an interesting and varied avifauna. With its birdlife and climate strongly influenced by neighbouring Africa, it possesses its own endemic bird, the Canary Islands Stonechat, and is now, due to hunting in North Africa, the best place in the world to watch the vulnerable Houbara Bustard strutting across a stony desert plain.

There are three further Macaronesian endemics to enjoy: the widespread and perky Berthelot's Pipit, the more localised Plain Swift, and the emblematic Atlantic Canary. Fuerteventura is a great place to catch up with other specialities, including the charismatic Cream-coloured Courser, Egyptian Vulture, Barbary Falcon, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, African Blue Tit and Trumpeter Finch. Our late autumn and winter visits are timed to give a great chance of interesting migrants – and sometimes rarities, too. Though the range of species is relatively low, with perhaps 50-65 bird species possible during the week, this is more than made up for in quality.

Our seven-night stay on the island is based at a very comfortable rural hotel in the north of the island, within 20km of most of the key locations, resulting in a relaxed pace to the tour and more time in the field to really watch the birds carefully and less time in the vehicle!

Amongst rocky slopes of ancient volcanoes and deeply incised stream beds – barrancos – the arid, semi-desert landscape of Fuerteventura is home to the Canary Islands Stonechat, a smart bird only found on this one island. Sometimes elusive, with a bit of local knowledge it can be seen well, as it catches flies along the deep ravines and rocky slopes. Fuerteventura is also a stronghold of the endangered Houbara Bustard – here with its own unique subspecies fuertaventurae (slightly richer in colour and more heavily barred than those in North Africa.) Indeed, the island is nowadays probably the best place in the world to see this fast disappearing species. As we search for these two scarce and very special birds, we’ll come across a range of other desert-dwelling specialists, such as Cream-coloured Courser, Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Trumpeter Finch.

Of the three other Macaronesian endemics, Berthelot’s Pipit is by far the easiest to find, often appearing within the hotel grounds, welcoming you with its cheery call. Plain Swift and Atlantic Canary are more localised and will take a bit more effort to find. Also finding a home on Fuerteventura are Egyptian Vultures (the endemic Canarian form majorensis is known locally as Guirres), North African Raven, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, African Blue Tit, Desert Grey Shrike, Barbary Partridge and a recent colonist in the shape of Laughing Dove. Trumpeter Finch, Lesser Short-toed Lark and Spectacled Warbler are easy to find in the right habitat.

With its rocky coastline, Cory's Shearwaters can be seen cruising past and amongst the waders to be found are Whimbrel and Kentish Plover. Barbary Falcons – nowadays treated as a race of Peregrine Falcon – roam widely and we might be lucky to find them. On Fuerteventura one can also pick up migrants from Europe, Africa or even a trans-Atlantic vagrant or two from North America.