List of birds of Madeira

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The Trocaz pigeon is endemic to Madeira. Trocaz.jpg
The Trocaz pigeon is endemic to Madeira.

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Madeira. The avifauna of Madeira include a total of 356 species, of which two are endemic, and 9 have been introduced by humans. Two listed species are extinct.

Contents

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World , 2022 edition. [1] The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Madeira.

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.


Ducks, geese, and waterfowl

Order: Anseriformes    Family: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.

Pheasants, grouse, and allies

Common quail Coturnix coturnix (Warsaw zoo)-1.JPG
Common quail

Order: Galliformes    Family: Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.

Grebes

Horned grebe Horned Grebe - Podiceps auritus.jpg
Horned grebe

Order: Podicipediformes    Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.

Pigeons and doves

Common wood-pigeon Columba palumbus -garden post-8.jpg
Common wood-pigeon

Order: Columbiformes    Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. The Madeiran wood pigeon (Columba palumbus maderensis), an endemic subspecies, is extinct.

Bustards

Little bustard Tetrax male 1.JPG
Little bustard

Order: Otidiformes    Family: Otididae

Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.

Cuckoos

Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus vogelartinfo.jpg
Common cuckoo

Order: Cuculiformes    Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. The Old World cuckoos are brood parasites.

Nightjars and allies

Order: Caprimulgiformes    Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.

Swifts

Pallid swift Apuspallidus 9043.JPG
Pallid swift

Order: Caprimulgiformes    Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.

Rails, gallinules, and coots

Eurasian moorhen Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) in a Nelumbo nucifera (Indian Lotus) pond W IMG 8779.jpg
Eurasian moorhen
Baillon's crake Baillon's crake.jpg
Baillon's crake

Order: Gruiformes    Family: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.

Cranes

Common crane Grus grus 1 (Marek Szczepanek).jpg
Common crane

Order: Gruiformes    Family: Gruidae

Cranes (Gruidae) are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".

Thick-knees

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: Burhinidae

The thick-knees (Burhinidae) are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.

Stilts and avocets

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

Oystercatchers

Eurasian oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus -Helsinki, Finland -adult and juvenile-8.jpg
Eurasian oystercatcher

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

Plovers and lapwings

Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius 4 (Marek Szczepanek).jpg
Little ringed plover

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.

Sandpipers and allies

Sanderling Calidris-alba-001.jpg
Sanderling
Common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 1 tb (Marek Szczepanek).jpg
Common sandpiper
Common redshank Common Redshank Tringa totanus.jpg
Common redshank
Dunlin Calidris-alpina-001 edit.jpg
Dunlin

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Pratincoles and coursers

Collared pratincole Glareola pratincola03.jpg
Collared pratincole

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.

Skuas and jaegers

Parasitic jaeger Arcticskua2.jpg
Parasitic jaeger

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large sea birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.

Auks, murres, and puffins

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: Alcidae

Auks (Alcidae) are a family of seabirds which are superficially similar to penguins with their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits but which are able to fly.

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes    Family: Laridae

Common tern Common tern with fish.jpg
Common tern
Black-headed gull Larus ridibundus.jpg
Black-headed gull
Lesser black-backed gull Lesser black backed gull in flight.jpg
Lesser black-backed gull

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.

Tropicbirds

Red-billed tropicbird Red-billed-Tropicbird-ventral.jpg
Red-billed tropicbird

Order: Phaethontiformes    Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.

Loons

Common loon Gavia immer -Minocqua, Wisconsin, USA -swimming-8.jpg
Common loon

Order: Galliformes    Family: Gaviidae

The loons or divers are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia (Europe, Asia and debatably Africa). All living species of loons are members of the genus (Gavia), family (Gaviidae) and order (Gaviiformes).

Southern storm-petrels

Wilson's storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicusPCCA20070623-3634B.jpg
Wilson's storm-petrel

Order: Procellariiformes    Family: Oceanitidae

The southern storm-petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.

Northern storm-petrels

Order: Procellariiformes    Family: Hydrobatidae

Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.

Shearwaters and petrels

Zino's petrel or Freira is an endangered species, and a breeding endemic to Madeira Zino's petrel sketch.png
Zino's petrel or Freira is an endangered species, and a breeding endemic to Madeira

Order: Procellariiformes    Family: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.

Storks

White stork Ciconia ciconia - 01.jpg
White stork

Order: Ciconiiformes    Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.

Boobies and gannets

Northern gannet Two Gannets edit 2.jpg
Northern gannet

Order: Suliformes    Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Cormorants and shags

Order: Suliformes    Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white and a few being colourful.

Herons, egrets, and bitterns

Gray heron Graureiher - Ardea Cinerea.jpg
Gray heron

Order: Pelecaniformes    Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.

Ibises and spoonbills

Eurasian spoonbill Eurasian Spoonbill.jpg
Eurasian spoonbill

Order: Pelecaniformes    Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes    Family: Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-large raptor and a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.

Hawks, kites and eagles

Common buzzard Buteo buteo -Hamerton Zoo, Cambridgeshire, England -head-8a.jpg
Common buzzard
Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus kill.jpg
Eurasian sparrowhawk

Order: Accipitriformes    Family: Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons and keen eyesight.

Barn-owls

Order: Strigiformes    Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium-sized to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

Owls

Short-eared owl Flickr - Rainbirder - Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) (1).jpg
Short-eared owl

Order: Strigiformes    Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disc.

Hoopoes

Order: Coraciiformes    Family: Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head. .

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes    Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.

Bee-eaters

Order: Coraciiformes    Family: Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.

Rollers

Order: Coraciiformes    Family: Coraciidae

Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.

Woodpeckers

Order: Piciformes    Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.

Falcons and caracaras

Eurasian kestrel (female) Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in Kinnarsani WS, AP W IMG 6037.jpg
Eurasian kestrel (female)

Order: Falconiformes    Family: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

Old World parrots

Order: Psittaciformes    Family: Psittaculidae

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly colored, and some are multi-colored. In size they range from 8 cm (3.1 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft) in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.

Old-World orioles

Eurasian golden oriole Oriole 2.jpg
Eurasian golden oriole

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Oriolidae

The Old World orioles are colourful medium-sized passerine birds. The beak is slightly curved and hooked, and, except in the figbirds, as long as the head. The plumage of most species is bright and showy, although the females often have duller plumage than the males. They are not related to the New World orioles.

Shrikes

Woodchat shrike Lanius senator01 new.jpg
Woodchat shrike

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.

Crows, jays, and magpies

Rook Corvus frugilegus -Dartmoor, Devon, England-8.jpg
Rook

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Corvidae

The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, magpies, treepies, nutcrackers and ground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.

Larks

Sky lark Alauda arvensis 2.jpg
Sky lark

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.

Reed warblers and allies

Melodious warbler Hippolais polyglotta.jpg
Melodious warbler

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Acrocephalidae

Acrocephalidae (the marsh- and tree-warblers or acrocephalid warblers) is a family of oscine passerine birds, in the superfamily Sylvioidea. Most species are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds or tall grass.

Grassbirds and allies

Common grasshopper-warbler Grashoppsangare-070512.jpg
Common grasshopper-warbler

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Locustellidae

Locustellidae is a family of small insectivorous songbirds ("warblers"), formerly placed in the Old World warbler family. It contains the grass-warblers, grassbirds, and the Bradypterus "bush-warblers". The species are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed. Most live in scrubland and frequently hunt food by clambering through thick tangled growth or pursuing it on the ground.

Swallows

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Hirundinidae

Barn swallow Hirundo rustica 1 (Martin Mecnarowski).jpg
Barn swallow

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.

Leaf warblers

Willow warbler Flickr - Rainbirder - Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus).jpg
Willow warbler

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Phylloscopidae

Phylloscopidae is a family of small insectivorous birds formerly placed in the Old World warbler family. Its members occur in Eurasia, ranging into Wallacea and Africa (and the Arctic warbler breeding east into Alaska). Most live in forest and scrub and frequently catch food on the wing.

Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies

Spectacled warbler Sylvia conspicillata Gran Canaria.jpg
Spectacled warbler

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Sylviidae

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.

Kinglets

Madeira firecrest (R. madeirensis) Mad-Firecrest-B.jpg
Madeira firecrest (R. madeirensis)

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Regulidae

The kinglets, also called crests, are a small group of birds often included in the Old World warblers, but frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice.

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Troglodytidae

The wrens are mainly small and inconspicuous except for their loud songs. These birds have short wings and thin down-turned bills. Several species often hold their tails upright. All are insectivorous.

Starlings

Rosy starling Pastor roseus.jpg
Rosy starling

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.

Thrushes and allies

Mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus 1.jpg
Mistle thrush

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Turdidae

The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

Old World flycatchers

European robin Rotkehlchen WP.jpg
European robin
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra 3 tom (Marek Szczepanek).jpg
Whinchat

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.

Waxbills and allies

Common waxbill Estrilda astrild 2.jpg
Common waxbill

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Estrildidae

The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.

Accentors

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Prunellidae

The accentors are in the only bird family, Prunellidae, which is completely endemic to the Palearctic. They are small, fairly drab species superficially similar to sparrows.

Old World sparrows

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.

Wagtails and pipits

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Motacillidae

Berthelot's pipit Anthus berthelotii 3.jpg
Berthelot's pipit

Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country.

Finches, euphonias, and allies

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Fringillidae

Finches are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.

Longspurs and snow buntings

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Calcariidae

The Calcariidae are a small family of passerine birds.

Old World buntings

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Emberizidae

The emberizids are a family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills.

New World warblers

Order: Passeriformes    Family: Parulidae

A group of small, often colourful passerine birds restricted to the New World. Most are arboreal and insectivorous.

See also

References

  1. Clements, J.F.; Schulenberg, T.S.; Iliff, M.J.; Sullivan, B.L.; Wood, C.L. (2010). "The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, Version 6.5" (xls). Cornell University Press. Retrieved 25 September 2011.