Madeira - A Seabird Extravaganza!

Located in the middle of the North Atlantic, some 560 kilometres off the coast of north-west Africa, the Madeiran Archipelago consists of five larger islands — Madeira, Porto Santo and the uninhabited Desertas Islands — and a few small islets. Madeira itself is not only a dramatic island of towering volcanic cliffs, rugged mountains and lush laurel forests, but it is also a seabird enthusiast's paradise, around which lives an exciting suite of petrels and shearwaters, including two highly sought-after pterodromas (the so-called gadfly petrels), the Desertas Petrel and the endangered Zino's Petrel. The seas surrounding the archipelago also offer rich feeding for cetaceans, both great and small, and on this exciting holiday we will spend much of our time out on the water enjoying the abundant wildlife that lives above and below the waves.

Our tour includes a half-day excursion to find Madeira's endemic land-birds, plus three exciting 6-hour pelagic cruises in search of seabirds and cetaceans. Each pelagic will concentrate on a different region of sea, which should increase our chances of finding the iconic petrels and shearwaters of this remote rocky outpost. The enigmatic pterodroma petrels will be at the top of our wish list — the Desertas Petrel and Zino's Petrel — plus an exciting supporting cast of other seabirds too. On each morning, your tour leader will offer an optional land-based excursion, including visits to Funchal to wander its picturesque streets, or time exploring some of the key birding sites on the island. Mornings will always be kept flexible and relaxed to ensure plenty of rest after the previous afternoon/evening's pelagic.

We begin our holiday, however, with a flight to Funchal, Madeira's attractive capital, from where we transfer to our hotel in the town of Machico, located at the eastern end of the island, for a 4-night stay. Then on our first evening we will climb into the hills for one of the island's ornithological highlights, an exciting night-time visit to the breeding site of Zino's Petrel, one of Europe's most threatened seabirds. This rarely-seen ocean wanderer is an endemic breeder on Madeira and was presumed extinct in the mid-1900s. It was only rediscovered in 1969 and today Zino's Petrel only nest in the island's high central massif, where between 65 and 85 pairs breed annually. Listening to the gentle wailing noises of this threatened seabird in the dark, at an altitude of 1,800 metres above sea level, will likely offer one of the most memorable wildlife encounters of the tour!

We will spend the morning of Day 2 exploring the eastern end of the island to catch up with Madeira's endemic species and sub-species of birds. Trocaz Pigeon and Madeiran Firecrest can be found in the lush laurel forests in the heart of the island, whereas the endemic sub-species are more likely to be encountered in the drier areas. These may include Rock Sparrow, Spectacled Warbler, Berthelot's Pipit and Plain Swift. 

After lunch by the sea, we will embark on the first of three afternoon/evening seabird pelagics. With our experienced skipper and seabird expert to hand, we will venture north — then east and then south on subsequent days — in search of the unique assemblage of seabirds that return to the Madeiran Archipelago each summer to breed. Desertas Petrels will be the most numerous of the pterodroma species — easily spotted by their distinctive rapid flight — but we hope to also attract in a few of the much rarer Zino's Petrels too. Cory's Shearwaters are always present in their hundreds, while smaller tubenoses will hopefully include Wilson's Storm-petrel, White-faced Petrel and Band-rumped (or Madeiran) Storm-petrel. In some years, Great Shearwater and Barolo Shearwater also feature, whilst past rarities have included Cape Verde Shearwater and Black-bellied Storm-petrel. As we depart Machico Harbour we must not forget to check the harbour wall for roosting Roseate Terns. 

All three of our pelagic cruises are onboard a sturdy RIB vessel (called 'Oceonodroma') and will last for approximately six hours. A floating frozen ball of chum is used to entice the birds close to the vessel, allowing for some excellent photographic opportunities. While searching for the seabirds we also hope to encounter a variety of cetaceans and other marine-life. Sperm Whales, Short-finned Pilot Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins are usually present off the island, whilst larger baleen whales, such as Bryde's Whale, also make an appearance from time to time too, as do Blue and Greater Hammerhead Sharks, Ocean Sunfish and Loggerhead Turtle.