The Canary Islands 2012, Systematic List of Birds. |
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Written by Jos | |
The below notes detail all the sightings of birds seen on both Fuerteventura and Tenerife between 20th and 27th December 2012. In total, 78 species were seen, including all the endemics and semi-endemics, a fairly reasonable total for a mid-winter trip. Of these, 56 species were seen on Fuerteventura and 46 on Tenerife. Two species (Lesser Black-backed Gull and Black-headed Gull) were not actually seen on either island, but at the ferry port on Gran Canaria.
Ruddy Shelduck Fuerteventura: A flock of at least 60 at Los Molinos. Additionally, pairs seen on the El Cotillo coast and at La Oliva.
Shoveler Fuerteventura: A single bird noted at Los Molinos on both visits.
Eurasian Wigeon Fuerteventura: Three birds seen at Los Molinos on both visits.
Teal Fuerteventura: Eight birds noted at Los Molinos and three at Erjos. Tenerife: One bird on the pool at Del Sur Golf.
Pintail Tenerife: A female noted with the exotic wildfowl at Del Sur Golf.
Tufted Duck Fuerteventura: Two birds at Los Molinos on both visits.
Ring-necked Duck Fuerteventura: Associating with the Tufted Ducks, a female was seen at Los Molinos on both visits.
Barbary Partridge Fuerteventura: Over three days, two pairs and a single were seen at El Cotillo, all in barrancas or at the cliff top. Tenerife: One bird noted in scrub at La Grimonas and a total of eight at Punta de Teno.
Madeiran Storm Petrel Tenerife: One bird seen from the Gran Canaria-Tenerife ferry. The bird was 1-2 kilometres off the Tenerife coast and presumably from the winter-breeding population.
Gannet Fuerteventura: Eight noted on one occasion off the coast north of El Cotillo.
Grey Heron Fuerteventura: One in the part at Morro Jable. Tenerife: One on the pool at Del Sur Golf.
Cattle Egret Fuerteventura: A single just north of Morro Jable. Tenerife: Three with Little Egrets and Spoonbills on a pool just north of Amarillo Golf.
Little Egret Fuerteventura: A total of none noted over two days along the coast north of El Cotillo. Tenerife: A single flying along the coast at La Grimonas and six on a pool north of Amarillo Golf.
Spoonbill Tenerife: Roosting with egrets, four seen on a pool north of Amarillo Golf.
Egyptian Vulture Fuerteventura: One adult at Los Molinos.
Common Buzzard Fuerteventura: Singles seen at Los Molinos, La Oliva and twice at El Cotillo. Tenerife: Up to four seen on each visit to the La Grimonas viewpoint, plus pairs at Erjos and two at Punta de Teno.
Sparrowhawk Fuerteventura: A single bird seen in the small woodland at Costa Calma.
Barbary Falcon Fuerteventura: A single bird seen on subsequent days at El Cotillo. Tenerife: Individuals seen at both La Grimonas and Punta de Teno.
Common Kestrel Fuerteventura: Two birds noted at Los Molinos and singles at La Oliva and Las Salinas. Tenerife: Fairly common. A total of eleven birds seen, singles or pairs noted at La Grimonas, Teide, Erjos, Las Mercedes, Tejne, Amarillo Golf, Punta de Teno and the Teno Mountains.
Eurasian Coot Fuerteventura: A flock of about 160 recorded on Los Molinos on both visits. Elsewhere, six birds at Erjos and six at Tejne. Tenerife: Two birds at Del Sur Golf.
Moorhen Fuerteventura: Six birds seen at Los Molinos on both visits, plus two at Erjos and eight at Tejne. Tenerife: Six birds at Del Sur Golf.
Houbara Bustard Fuerteventura: In the windless conditions, seen each day on the plains south of El Cotillo; daily totals being four birds, five birds and six birds.
Black-winged Stilt Fuerteventura: Totals of six and fifteen noted at Los Molinos on subsequent visits.
Stone Curlew Fuerteventura: One calling in the pre-dawn hours at El Cotillo.
Cream-coloured Courser Fuerteventura: Surprisingly easy at El Cotillo, the windless conditions probably assisting. On the 21st, four were seen in the morning and a flock of twelve in the evening, while on the 22nd, another five were noted.
Ringed Plover Fuerteventura: Up to 30 per visit noted on the coast north of El Cotillo, additionally two were seen at Los Molinos and a single at Tejne. Tenerife: Eight seen on the rocky shore adjacent to Las Salinas.
Little Ringed Plover Fuerteventura: Up to six seen per visit to Los Molinos.
Kentish Plover Fuerteventura: A total of five birds noted on the coast north of El Cortillo.
Grey Plover Fuerteventura: Two records, single birds on the coast north of El Cotillo and adjacent to Las Salinas.
Turnstone Fuerteventura: A total of about 15 seen on the coast north of El Cotillo.
Sanderling Fuerteventura: A single flock consisting of about 45 birds noted on the coast north of El Cotillo.
Dunlin Fuerteventura: One record only, a single at the Las Salinas salt pools.
Green Sandpiper Fuerteventura: On subsequent visits, a single bird and three birds seen at Los Molinos.
Common Sandpiper Fuerteventura: Fairly common – four at Los Molinos and singles at Las Salinas and at a couple of localities along the coast north of El Cotillo. Tenerife: One bird seen at Tejne
Spotted Redshank Fuerteventura: Two birds noted on both visits to Los Molinos.
Greenshank Fuerteventura: Two birds at Los Molinos on both visits and a single on the salt pools at Las Salinas.
Bar-tailed Godwit Fuerteventura: A single on the coast north of El Cotillo was the only record.
Whimbrel Fuerteventura: A total of none seen on the coast north of El Cotillo, with a single also seen on the rocky shore adjacent to Las Salinas. Tenerife: One bird at Punta de Teno.
Common Snipe Fuerteventura: Five birds seen at Los Molinos and a single at Tejne.
Yellow-legged Gull Fuerteventura: Widespread on the coast, but not abundant - totals of 20-40 per day at El Cotillo, 15 at Las Salinas and about 30 at Morro Jable. Additonally, four were noted at Los Molinos. Tenerife: Fairy common at XXXXX, where a breeding colony exists on an offshore rock. Elsewhere, at least 20 at Punta de Teno, several along the coast at La Grimonas, a single on the Del Sur golf course and a minimum of 60 noted from the Gran Canaria-Tenerife ferry.
Lesser Black-backed Gull Gran Canaria: three birds seen in Gran Canaria port.
Black-headed Gull Gran Canaria: four birds seen in Gran Canaria port.
Sandwich Tern Tenerife: ten birds seen on buoys in ferry port from Gran Canaria Gran Canaria: two birds in Gran Canaria port.
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Fuerteventura: Total records consisted of flocks of six, four and two birds on the stony plains south of Ell Cotillo and six birds at Los Molinos.
Rock Dove Fuerteventura: Common across the island, occurring in small numbers at most localties, especially the sea cliffs between La Cotillo and Los Molinos. Tenerife: Common in most suitable localites, including up to a dozen on the same cliffs as the Laurel Pigeons at La Grimonas.
Collared Dove Fuerteventura: Common, especially in towns and villages. Tenerife: Common across lowland Tenerife, less common at the higher altitudes.
Laurel Pigeon Tenerife: Noted on both of my morning visits to the La Grimonas viewpoint, two birds on the first visit, a single on the next. In both cases, in rather cloudy damp weather, the birds were seen in the taller trees midway up the slopes about an hour after dawn.
Bolle’s Pigeon Tenerife: In the Les Mercedes laurel forests, two birds were seen perched in trees adjacent to the road above the El Llano de los Viejos picnic site on the first visit, with single on the slope adjacent to the picnic site on the second visit. In both cases, the nature of the habitat resulted in poor views. At the Mirador Pico del Ingles, further up the XXX road, it is possible to view across the canopy – two birds were seen well here, one perched, another in flight. Not looked for at Erjos, where fires have destroyed the forest in the most accessible valleys.
Ring-necked Parakeet Tenerife: Established populations exist in several parts of Tenerife – I saw them in Las Galletas, where up to six were present on both visits to the Ten Bel area.
Monk Parakeet Tenerife: As with the previous species, established populations exist in several parts of the island, but the species can be harder to find than Ring-necked Parakeet. On my visits to the Ten Bel area in Las Galletas, 15 birds were noted on the first visit, feeding in the palms, but none on the second.
Senegal Parrot Tenerife: Small breeding populations exist, though the species is not widespread. Mixing with the parakeets, one bird was seen in the Ten Bel area in Las Galletas (first visit only).
Hoopoe Fuerteventura: A pair were noted on two days in a barranca on the plains south of El Cotillo, singing noted on both occasions. Another pair was seen at Garcia.
Great Spotted Woodpecker Tenerife: Three birds of the endemic race were seen at the Las Layas picnic site on Mount Teide.
Lesser Short-toed Lark Fuerteventura: Fairly common – several flocks of 20-50 birds noted on the stony plains in the Los Molinos and El Cotillo areas, widespread singing also noted at dawn at El Cotillo. Tenerife: Six birds seen at Punta de Teno.
Berthelot’s Pipit Fuerteventura: Common – counts of up to ten noted at most localites visited, including Los Molinos, El Cotillo, La Oliva and Garcia. A single was also seen in the ferry port at Morro Jable. Tenerife: Less abundant than on Fuerteventura, but common on Mount Teide, where at least 20 were noted in the crater area and several at Chio picnic site. Five were also seen Amarillo golf course and four at Punta de Teno.
White Wagtail Fuerteventura: Three birds seen - singles at El Cotillo, La Oliva and Los Molinos.
Grey Wagtail Tenerife: Two birds seen on the Del Sur golf course and a single in Las Galletas.
European Robin Tenerife: Small numbers seen and heard singing in the Les Mercedes laural forests, with two also noted in scrub in the Teno Mountains.
Fuerteventura Chat Fuerteventura: This island endemic favours barrancas and rocky slopes – after considerable searching, a pair was located in a deep valley some kilometres south of La Oliva, with a total of five birds then seen on my second visit to Los Molinos (a male and two females along a fence above the reservoir, a pair on the stone wall along the access road).
Blackbird Fuerteventura: A single in the Costa Calma woodlands was the only record. Tenerife: Fairly common, with small numbers in the laurel forests at Les Mercedes, in the undergrowth at La Grimonas and in the Teno Mountains. Singles were also noted at Las Layas, on the Amarillo golf course and at Punta de Teno.
Blackcap Fuerteventura: Three birds in the Costa Calma woodlands. Tenerife: A single bird seen at La Grimonas and at least two at Les Mercedes.
Sardinian Warbler Tenerife: One record only – a single bird in bramble in the Teno Mountains.
Spectacled Warbler Fuerteventura: Fairly common – two seen by the coast at Los Molinos, one by Los Molinos reservoir, a total of four at El Cotillo and a single at La Oliva. Tenerife: Four birds at Punta de Teno.
Common Chiffchaff Fuerteventura: A single bird seen in a barranca at El Cotillo and two in woodland at Costa Calma.
Canary Islands Chiffchaff Tenerife: Small numbers generally seen at most localities, typically three or four birds per site, including at Les Mercedes, La Grimonas, Las Layas, Erjos, Punta de Teno and the Teno Mountains.
Tenerife Kinglet Tenerife: At Les Mercedes, generally easier to see than hear in the dense laurel forest, but individuals seen well on both visits. Additional birds heard in the pine forests at Las Layas.
African Blue Tit Tenerife: Common at Les Mercedes, where at least 15 were seen on each visit. small flocks of up to six were also seen at Las Layas, Erjos and in the Teno Mountains.
Southern Grey Shrike Fuerteventura: At El Cotillo, a pair seemed to be breeding, appearing to take food on several occasions into a thorny bush (breeding in December?). Additionally, singles were noted at Los Molinos and La Oliva. All records were of the endemic race. Tenerife: One bird seen on the Amarillo golf course.
Common Raven Fuerteventura: Common across the island, with quite a number of pairs noted in the El Cotillo area, as well as at Los Molinos, along the north coast, at La Oliva and at Costa Calma. Tenerife: Three bird seen in the Teno Mountains, including one very approachable bird at a viewpoint.
Spanish Sparrow Fuerteventura: Abundant across the island, particularly in towns and villages, flocks of 20-40 commonplace.
Rock Sparrow Tenerife: A flock of five birds noted in the small agricultural plots at Punta de Teno.
Common Chaffinch Tenerife: All of the tintillon race, flocks of up to 30 were noted in the Les Mercedes area on both visits and five birds in the Teno Mountains.
Blue Chaffinch Tenerife: Common in the Teide pine forests, found easily at the various picnic sites. At least 15 and 20 were seen respectively at the Las Layas and Chio picnic sites.
Linnet Fuerteventura: Pairs were noted at La Oliva and Los Molinos, a flock of at least ten at Costa Calma. Tenerife: Two birds at Punta de Teno.
Goldfinch Fuerteventura: One pair seen in the Costa Calma woodlands. Tenerife: Two birds seen at Erjos.
Atlantic Canary Tenerife: Common across the island, counts including 30 at Las Layas, at least 40 at Punta de Teno and smaller numbers at Erjos, Tejne and in the Teno Mountains.
Trumpeter Finch Fuerteventura: A flock of about 40 was noted at Los Molinos, the birds dropping down to drink inhte valley below the dam. Additionally, two birds were seen at La Oliva.
Corn Bunting Fuerteventura:One bird seen, an individual in the agricultural land near La Oliva. Tenerife: Common at Punta de Teno, with at least 15 seen.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 January 2013 ) |
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