This is one of the islands that is not very much visited by birdwatchers. The cast of resident birds is like most of the other Azorean islands, with Common Buzzard, Wood Pigeon, Grey Wagtail, Blackbird, Blackcap, European Robin, Goldcrest, Common Starling, Chaffinch and Island Canary being the main species. Some of these are subspecies endemic to the archipelago. Vila islet, close to the town of Vila do Porto, is one of the most important seabird colonies of the Azores, and breeding site of Cory’s Shearwater, Little Shearwater, Band-rumped Storm Petrel, Bulwer’s Petrel, Roseate Tern, and Sooty Tern breeds irregularly and residually. Vagrants also occur, and around the airport is one of the best places to look for them. Killdeer has bred in the surroundings of the airport, in an area of open fields where temporary pools can be present, like Lagoa do Ginjal and Cova do Areão. Other places worth exploring are Baía dos Anjos, the mouth of Ribeira de São Francisco. Some of the best birding spots are included in Santa Maria island Natural Park. |
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Hotspots
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