Region covered by this guide
This guidebook covers the entire Portuguese island of Madeira, together with nearby Porto Santo and the Desertas Islands. It also includes the remote Selvagens Islands further south. Key areas on Madeira include Ponta de São Lourenço, the laurel forests around Rabaçal, the Paul da Serra plateau and the high mountains of Pico do Areeiro and Pico Ruivo.
The Crossbill Guide is a thorough and practical guide for birdwatchers, naturalists and nature lovers. It offers background information, detailed routes and site descriptions, plus tips on finding and watching birds, wildlife and wildflowers. The book combines walking routes with car itineraries and also describes boat excursions to explore Madeira’s seabirds and marine wildlife.
Some key sites described in this book
- Ponta de São Lourenço
- Funchal
- Rabaçal
- Paul da Serra
- Pico do Areeiro
- Pico Ruivo
- Porto Santo
- Desertas Islands
Why visit Madeira for its wildlife
Madeira is a volcanic Atlantic island with a remarkable concentration of endemic wildlife. Its ancient laurel forests harbour unique plants and birds such as Trocaz Pigeon and Madeira Firecrest, while the mountains, coastal habitats and dry eastern peninsula support a very different flora and fauna. For naturalists, the large number of endemic wildflowers is one of the island’s greatest attractions.
Madeira is also outstanding for hiking and marine wildlife. Its famous levadas and mountain trails provide access to spectacular forests, peaks and valleys, while the surrounding Atlantic is particularly rich in seabirds, whales and dolphins. Zino’s Petrel, one of Europe’s rarest seabirds, breeds only on Madeira.
Look for more information and images on our Wildlife Site Page on Madeira.
Some key species you may find with this book
- Trocaz Pigeon
- Zino’s Petrel
- Fea’s Petrel
- White-faced Storm-petrel
- Canary
- Bertelot’s Pipit
- Roseate Tern
- Madeira Firecrest
- Cory’s Shearwater
- Bulwer’s Petrel
- Monk Seal
- Striped Dolphin
- Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans)
- Golden Musschia (Musschia aurea)
- Madeiran Orchid (Orchis scopulorum)
- Madeira Grayling
About the authors
Dirk Hilbers (NL, 1976) set up the Crossbill Guides Foundation and travels across Europe to research the guidebooks. This is the 26th guide on which he has worked. As a biologist, when not in the field, Dirk is a freelance writer and lecturer in environmental ethics.
Kees Woutersen (NL, 1956)
lives in Huesca in northern Spain and has worked as a nature and bird guide throughout Spain. He is the author of various books on birds and natural history. This is his sixth Crossbill Guide; he was also involved in the Crossbill Guides to Tenerife and La Gomera, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, Southern Portugal and Eastern Andalucia.
Madeira lover –
Excellent guidebook! With the Crossbill Guide to Madeira in hand, it was easy to find the endemic birds of the island.