Birds of the Azores

BIRDS OF THE AZORES

Erasmus+ Project “nEURO Nesting 3.0”

May, 2022

Current name BLACK SOUL
Scientific name Black soul
Size Bulweria bulwerii
Between 26cm and 28cm, wingspan betweeb 68cm and 73cm.

Colours Dark brown body, with a lighter spot formed by the wing cover feathers.
Type of bird Migratory.

Where can be found The colonies are located on coastal cliffs, where the Black Soul nests under
large rocks, crevices or small galleries.

Food Components of plankton, fish eggs and other organisms.

Nesting and It nests in the archipelago of Madeira and the Azores. In the Azores it has two
reproduction known colonies on the islet of Vila (island of Santa Maria) and islet of Baixo
(island of Graciosa).
Curious facts Reproduction is done with a single white egg. Incubation lasts 44 to 47 days
and is carried out by both parents in shifts of one to five days.

Singing sounds similar to barking of a dog. It has an agile flight, with a powerful
flapping of wings and frequent gliding flights.
The Azores are the northern limit of its distribution.
It is known that almost all birds winter in the Southwest Atlantic and that after
the breeding season they go to Brazil and Venezuela.
The Black Soul's offspring are fed by both parents and always at night. It
remains in the nest from May to September.

Current name TERN (Garajau)
Scientific name
Size Tern
Colours
Sterna hirundu
Type of bird
About 79cm.

The back and wings (long and pointed) are
grey, with the throat, chest and abdomen being
white. It has a black cap around its eyes and a
red beak with a black tip. The legs, short, are
orange-red.
Resident.

Where can be found In almost all the islets, ports and coastal areas
Food of the Azores.

Fish and crustaceans.

Nesting and reproduction The breeding period occurs from April to July,
with 2 or 3 eggs.

Curious facts The world population is estimated at 100
thousand breeding pairs, of which about 30%
are in the Azores.

Current name SEAL-NOTCH
Scientific name
Size Seal-notch
Colours
Estrilda astrild
Type of bird
10 to 13 cm long, reaches 14 cm wingspan

It has a brownish color on the back and grayish
on the chest, with a red beak and a red stripe
around the eyes and another on the chest.
Resident.

Where can be found In pastures all over the island of São Miguel, in
Food Lagoas, Covoada, Vila Franca do Campo,
Furnas, Povoação, Santana, Ribeira Grande,
Algarve, Lomba da Fazenda, Nordeste.

Birdseed, Millet, Grass Seeds.

Nesting and reproduction It nests in closed bushes, spherical or oval in
shape, with thick walls made of grass, chicken
feathers and cotton. It lays 3 small white eggs,
which are hatched by the couple for about 13
days.

Curious facts On sunny days, it gathers in groups of 20 to 40
individuals to bathe in puddles of water.

Current name BORRELHO SEMIPALMADO
Scientific name
Size Borrelho Semipalmado
Colours
Type of bird charadrius semipalmatus

16cm to 19cm

Brown plumage on top and white on throat,
chest and abdomen. It has yellow paws.
Migratory.

Where can be found In São Miguel in Mosteiros, Praia do Monte
Verde, but also in other islands of the Azores.

Food Insects (locusts and mosquitoes), crustaceans
and molluscs.

Nesting and reproduction It nests in the Azores islands.

Curious facts Its chirping is always in an increasing tone. The
Azores are the best place in Europe to observe
this species.

Current name SHEARWATER
Scientific name
Size Shearwater
Colours
Type of bird Calonectris borealis

Average body length of 50cm and an average
wingspan of 1.25m
Brownish-grey on the upper parts and white on the
underparts. Yellow curved beak.
Migratory.

Where can be found Between April and November, especially at sea,
Food during crossings between islands; During the night
along the coast, you can hear a little bit all over the
islands of the Azores.

Shearwaters are fed on fish and cephalopods.

Nesting and reproduction It nests throughout the archipelago, the first birds
arriving in March, with the last individuals leaving the
nesting colonies in November.

Curious facts It is the most emblematic bird of the Azores. The
Azores are home to about 188,000 breeding pairs of
Cory's Shearwater, that is, about 75% of the world's
population of the species.

Current name ATLANTIC CANARY
Scientific name
Size Atlantic canary
Colours
Serinus canaria

12-14cm

It has grayish and light brown plumage on the
upper and sides, with yellow stripes on the
back and flanks. The throat, chest and
abdomen are yellow. The beak is short, thick
and pink in color. The paws are pinkish-brown.

Type of bird Resident.

Where can be found It is very common throughout the archipelago,
Food mainly in agricultural areas and pastures.

Seeds and small insects.

Nesting and reproduction Each bird lays 2 to 4 eggs per year.

Curious facts It is a species that is at the origin of the
domestic breeds of canaries.

Current name STARLING OF THE AZORES
Scientific name
Size Starling of the Azores
Colours
Type of bird Sturnus vulgaris granti

From 19cm to 22cm

Black, with an orange beak. It has pinkish
brown paws.
Resident, endemic.

Where can be found It is easily observable throughout the islands
due to its abundance.

Food They feed on earthworms, insects, fruits and
berries.

Nesting and reproduction It nests in bushes, in a cup-shaped nest made
with straw and small branches where it lays 4-5
eggs 2 to 4 times a year.

Curious facts It is similar to a blackbird, but its pointed beak
and behavior is different.

Current name SLIVER FROM SÃO MIGUEL
Scientific name
Size Sliver from São Miguel
Colours
Regulus regulus azoricus
Type of bird
About 9cm

Its plumage is greenish-brown above and
practically white below; the wings are
black, as are the legs and the beak, short
and thin. On the head it has a “pooe-like”
stripe, yellow in females and orange in
males.

Resident, endemic.

Where can be found Wooded areas.

Food insects and worms.

Nesting and reproduction The Azores are the only region where they nest
in Portugal.

Curious facts Also known as “Ferfolha” or “Estrelinha de São
Poupa” it is the smallest bird in Europe. Very

restless.

Current name SCRATCHED-BEAK SEAGULL
Scientific name Scratched-beak Seagull
Size Larus delawarensis
Colours Between 43cm and 54cm.
Type of bird Grey, black and white.
Migratory.

Where can be found It is observed in the Azores from November to
April.

Food Fish, dead animals, food left in the garbage,
other small animals.

Nesting and reproduction They nest in coastal areas (Canada and
northern United States)

Curious facts They have the ability to fly for many hours and
long distances (North America to Portugal).

Current name YELLOW-FOOTED SEAGULL
Scientific name Yellow-footed Seagull
Size Larus michahellis atlantis
Colours Between 52cm and 68cm.
Type of bird Grey, white, black and yellow.
Resident.

Where can be found All year round, throughout the Azorean archipelago,
Food in fishing ports, marinas, beaches, coastal cliffs and
pastures.

Fish, pelagic crabs, insects, waste generated by
human activities, other species of birds (marine and
terrestrial) and other terrestrial vertebrates.

Nesting and reproduction The Yellow-footed seagull nests mainly on the
coasts of the Iberian Peninsula.

Curious facts It is the most common species of seagull in the
Azores.

Current name WATER CHICKEN
Scientific name
Size Water chicked
Colours
Gallinula chloropus/correiana
Type of bird
Where can be found Between 32cm and 35cm

Food Plumage mainly slate-grey, with the upper part of the
Nesting and belly more bluish and the undertails white; short red beak
reproduction with yellow tip and red frontal shield; thin fingers and
green legs.
Curious facts Resident, endemic.

In São Miguel it can be seen in the Parque Florestal das
Furnas, in Fajã de Cima, in Lagoa Azul and in Caldeira
do Alferes.
Vegetables, but also small invertebrates.

This bird generally selects areas of denser vegetation to
nest. Nests, at water level or close to shores, are
essentially built by males and are made up of dry
vegetation and debris. It only nests on four islands in the
Azores: Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira and Flores.

They are not very sociable and are generally isolated.

Current name GREEN HERON
Scientific name
Size Green heron
Colours
Butorides virescens
Type of bird
44cm

It has a green hue on the back, the wings are dark
gray, the neck is brown with a white line on the front,
the underparts are gray, and the legs are yellow and
short.
Migratory.

Where can be found Lakes and small ponds.

Food Small fish, frogs or small invertebrates.

Nesting and reproduction Female green herons lay three to five pale green
eggs, which the parents take turns incubating for
about 20 days.

Curious facts It is very rare in the Azores.

Current name LAVANDEIRA (ALVÉOLA DOS AÇORES)
Scientific name
Size Lavandeira or Alveola of the Azores
Colours
Motacilla cinerea patriciae
Type of bird
Between 18cm and 19cm.

The paws are short and rosy-brownish, the beak is black, short and
thin. Females are distinguished from males during the reproductive
season mainly because they have a whitish throat, while the male
throat is black.
Resident, endemic.

Where can be found Observable in all habitats a little by all the islands of the Azores. It's
Food not very plentiful.
Nesting and reproduction
Insects, mainly flies and mosquitoes, either from the ground or in flight.
Curious facts Its elongated beak is a revealing feature of adaptation to an
insectivorous diet.

They build nests in the soil, in well-hidden places, sometimes very
close to watercourses, shrubs or rocky cavities are also sought after
places for the construction of the nest. Laying carried out between
April and June from 3 to 6 white or light brown eggs with brownish-
grey spots. After an incubation period of 11 to 14 days, carried out
mainly by the female, the small chicks are born.

He constantly wags his tail and has a very graceful flight.

Current name BLACKBIRD
Scientific name
Size Blackbird
Colours
Turdus merula azorensis

Between 24cm and 25cm

The plumage and paws are black; the beak
and eye ring are yellow. The females are
brownish, with the beak also brownish and do
not present the yellow eye ring.

Type of bird Resident.

Where can be found In all the islands of the Azores, from sea level
to mountain areas, including in the highest
areas of Pico mountain (Pico island).

Food Plants, insects, fruits, vegetables and leaves.

Nesting and reproduction Females usually nest in trees or shrubby
hedges, often on loose stone walls. Its eggs
are bluish, sarapainted brown.

Curious facts It is one of the most common birds in the
archipelago. They are nicknamed “Mérrinhos”.

Current name KITE
Scientific name
Size Kite
Colours
Buteo buteo rothschildi
Type of bird
Between 51cm to 57cm

It has a brown plumage on the upper parts; light brown and with
spots/stripes on the lower parts, the inner part of the wings being
whitish; the tail is listed and square; the beak, strong and
hooked, is yellow and black; the paws are yellow and clawed.
Resident.

Where can be found It is observed in all the islands of the Azores of the central and
eastern group. In forest areas and cliffs, as well as some pasture
areas with large trees in the vicinity. It occupies low and
intermediate zones (up to 1000m).

Food It feeds on small mammals such as rats or rabbits, but also from
bird cubs, reptiles, insetos and earthworms.

Nesting and reproduction They nest on the high slopes.

Curious facts It’s the only bird of prey in the Azores.

Current name BEACH HAWTHORN
Scientific name Beach Hawthorn
Size Calidris alba
Colours Between 18cm and 21cm
Type of bird White, brown, black and orange.
Migratory.

Where can be found Observable in coastal areas, next to the
bursting of the sea on the sandy beaches
(between September and December).

Food Crustaceans, insect larvae and other small
invertebrates.

Nesting and reproduction It nests in the Arctic. They lay about four eggs
between June and July, and these are
incubated over 24 to 27 days.

Curious facts In the Azores it is more abundant in São Miguel
and Santa Maria.

Current name GOLDFINCH
Scientific name
Size Goldfinch
Colours
Carduelis carduelis

About 12cm

The adult has the red face and the rest of the
black and white head, the wings are black with
a yellow bar uropygium white ivory beak.

Type of bird Resident.

Where can be found The bird is seen in flocks, in the gardens and
Food large parks.

It feeds on wild grains.

Nesting and reproduction They lay about 4 to 6 blue eggs once a year.

Curious facts It is one of the most colorful birds in the
Azores.

Current name RED CHEST ROBIN
Scientific name
Size Red chest robin
Colours
Erithacus rubecula
Type of bird
About 14cm.

Small and brownish, it has a very characteristic
red bib; the abdomen is white, the beak thin
and the paws brown.
Resident.

Where can be found In all the islands of the Azores except Flores
Food and Corvo, from sea level to mountain areas,
with the exception of the highest areas of pico
mountain. It occurs in both pastures and forest
areas.

Small insects, larvae and earthworms.

Nesting and reproduction The song of the male is notorious at the time of
nesting, which takes place in spring.

Curious facts It's an abundant species. Perched on top of
branches, walls and high places to display your
melodious singing, as well as bounce into the
ground in search of food.

Current name WOOD PIGEON
Scientific name
Size Wood pigeon
Colours
Columba palumbus azorica

Between 40cm and 42cm.

The plumage has a grayish tone at the top,
with a white spot on the neck. The neck and
abdomen are grey and the breast is pink-
purplish; the beak, short and thin, is reddish;
the paws are short and red.

Type of bird Resident, endemic.

Where can be found Gardens and wooded areas in all the islands of
the Azores.

Food Seeds, little insects.

Nesting and reproduction They nest between 2 and 3 times a year.

Curious facts It is a sociable bird and very abundant in the
Azores. Sometimes it is considered responsible
for destroying horticultural crops.

Current name PRIOLO
Scientific name
Size Priolo
Colours
Pyrrhula murina
Type of bird
Between 15cm and 17cm

Cream-grayplumage. The head, wings and tail are black; the
nozzle is robust and black; the paws are in shades of dark
pink.
Resident, endemic to the island of São Miguel.

Where can be found Laurissilva Forest of the municipalities of Nordeste and
Food Povoação.

Priolo depends on several plants from the Laurissilva forest
of the Azores for their feeding, feeding on flower buds,
seeds and spores of fetuses of various species, many of
which are endemic to the Azores.

Nesting and reproduction Observation in the mating phase, in which the couple makes
their bridal flight near the nesting area.

Curious facts Priolo and Laurissilva form an inseparable and rare pair.
There is a local conservation and development project
underway in the Azores which is pointed out as an example
at international level.

Current name FINCH OF THE AZORES
Scientific name
Size Finch of the Azores
Colours
Fringilla coelebs moreletti

Between 14cm and 16cm.

The head and part of the back are bluish-grey, and the
throat is the remaining area of the greenish back. The
wings and the cause are black and white; throat and
chest are rosy. The beak is grey and the paws are pinkish
brown. The female has a brownish plumage.

Type of bird Resident.

Where can be found Wooded areas, lagoons and pastures of all the islands of
the archipelago.

Food They feed mostly on seeds. At the time of reproduction,
however, they look for small invertebrates in the arboreal
vegetation and on the ground.

Nesting and reproduction They nest in trees, laying about 4 to 6 eggs.

Curious facts Despite having different chirps, performed with different
functions, more or less difficult to distinguish from the
other species, the typical song of the male is quite
characteristic and easy to memorize.

AZORES WARBLER

Current name Azores Warbler
Scientific name Sylvia atricapilla atlantis
Size Around 14cm.

Colours The male has a greyish color at the top, up to
Type of bird the tail, while the female appears with more
greyish-brown hues; his throat and chest are
grayish-white and his abdomen is white; the
paws are black, just like their beak, short and
thin, effective for catching insects and small
berries.

Resident, endemic.

Where can be found In all islands of the archipelago, from sea level
to the highest dimensions, both in pastures
with tree/shrub vegetation and in forest areas.

Food Insects, vermin, berries, pollen and nectar from
various plants.

Nesting and reproduction It nests in trees.

Curious facts It presents a restless behavior, remaining, in
general, hidden among the vegetation.

Webliography (websites consulted):
• https://avesdosacores.com
• https://agendacores.pt/21-aves-que-tornam-o-ceu-no-melhor-lugar-dos-acores
• https://avesdosazores.wordpress.com
• http://siaram.azores.gov.pt

Photographs by:
• Carlos Ribeiro
• J. Frade