Azores - Birding place

The Azorean archipelago, located in the north Atlantic Ocean, between Europe and America, is an interesting place for birds, mainly seabirds, not only due to the coast line with steep scarps but also to its geographical location (36-39ºN, 25-31ºW) that represents an ornithological transition between temperate and tropical zones. It is possible to watch around 30 native species and a variety of neartic waders and accidental rarities from the western paleartic. Priolo (Pyrrhula murina), an endemic specie, and one of the rarest bird in Europe, with an estimated population of 150 couples, is probably the most interesting bird of the Azores. Azores comprises twelve species of seabirds. The regular breeders are Bulwer’s petrel (Bulweria bulwerii), Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedia borealis), Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus), Little shearwater (P. assimilis baroli), Band-rumped storm-petrel (Oceanodroma castro), Yellow-legged gull (Larus cachinnans atlantis), Common tern (Sterna hirundo) and Roseate tern (S. dougallii). There are two occasional breeders, Red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) and Sooty tern (S. fuscata), a possible breeder, Cape Verde petrel (Pterodroma feae), and a possible former breeder, White-faced storm-petrel (Pelagodroma marina). The archipelago accounts the biggest population of Cory’s shearwater of the world with more than 180.000 couples (79% of the European population). Also representative are the populations of Band-rumped storm-petrel, 915 to 1240 couples (around 29% of the european population), Little shearwater, 800 to 1500 couples (around 21% of the European population), Roseate tern with more than 1000 couples (63% of the European population) and Common tern, around 2000 couples (5% of the European population). Other birds from Azores: Canary (Serinus canaria), endemic of Macaronesia Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands); Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) with 3 subspecies (R. regulus azoricus, R. regulus santae-mariae and R. Regulus inermis), Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla atlantis), Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea patriciae), Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs azorensis), Blackbird (Turdus merula azorica), Starling (Sturnus vulgaris granti), Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis parva), Robin (Erithacus rubecula), House sparrow (Passer domesticus), Northern Wheater (Oenanthe oenanthe), Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus azorica), Rock Dove (Columba livia atlantis), Azorean Buzzard (Buteo buteo rothschildi), long-eared Owl (Asio otus), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Teal (Anas crecca), Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), Coot (Fulica atra), Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) and Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus).