We might be going on holiday to Madeira again this year, and this time I've been looking for a guide to birds and butterflies that can be found on the island so I have some idea of what to keep an eye out for. I've came up with ONE bird guide that covers the area - A Field Guide to the Birds of the Atlantic Islands: Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Cape Verde (Helm Field Guides) - has anyone used this guide or guides by the same company and were they good?
Haven't found anything at all for butterflies and even Google fails at finding really useful websites!
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
How about the one suggested in the second link? available here (not searched further yet...): http://www.pembooks.demon.co.uk/used02.html (http://www.pembooks.demon.co.uk/)
B3701 Wakeham-Dawson, A.; Salmon, M.; Franquinho Aguiar, A.M. A Field Guide to the Butterflies of the Funchal Ecological Park and Madeiran Archipelago 2000. pp. 115. 15 col. plates. Paper wrapper. Vg. Text Portuguese/ English £8.00
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Rockwolf said: How about the one suggested in the second link? available here (not searched further yet...): http://www.pembooks.demon.co.uk/used02.html (http://www.pembooks.demon.co.uk/) B3701 Wakeham-Dawson, A.; Salmon, M.; Franquinho Aguiar, A.M. A Field Guide to the Butterflies of the Funchal Ecological Park and Madeiran Archipelago 2000. pp. 115. 15 col. plates. Paper wrapper. Vg. Text Portuguese/ English £8.00
That looks useful! Unfortunately I can't find it to buy anywhere! Typical!
Is it no longer available at that shop then?
Hi KatTai
I have had another answer for you.
"Butterfly guide mentioned is 'The Mitchell Beazley pocket guide to Butterflies by Paul Whalley'. It covers Europe and really is a pocket guide, thinner than most books around. The edition that I use is from 1982, a long time ago"
One book I own is "Butterflies of Britain and Europe by Robert and Rosemary Goodden" It is a thin book. I used this book while in Spain last year, and it covered the associated species - will be taking it with me this May on our Menorcan holiday.
I hope this helps too.
Regards
Kathy and Dave
MarJus - it doesn't look like it, I've checked a couple of other websites but though listed it doesn't seem to be available.
Thanks for the other suggestions Blackbird! With butterflies especially though I'm wanting something more specific to the area rather than a European guide partly because there can be regional differences between species and partly because Maderia is so close to Africa a lot of Euopean guides don't seem to cover the species there.
I may have to see if there is an online bookshop somewhere in Madeira itself to see if they stock the books I'm after in English (otherwise I'll be needing a crash course in Portuguese lol)
Obrigada
Can I suggest something else you can try
I found this link and it shows the birds and insects of the area.
http://www.madeirabirds.com/madeira_flora
I think if you e-mail the address stated on the link, and ask what books there are for you to buy. This might help find what you are after. I know it is the area you want to find out about.
We also have 'specialised' (2) different Menorcan Bird Books. One is in English and the other Spanish. We can refer to the Latin names for ID purposes - for our holiday in Menorca this year. We bought both books in Menorca last year and we will use them in Menorca now and in the future.
The Latin names will help ID species. You will find that the local area will have their own names for their species. Not always the case, but it does apply with some bird species at times
Hope this is an alternative way of finding what you are after.
Thanks blackbird, I've seen that site before but they don't have pictures for all the species and I would like a guide to take with me to use when I'm out in the field. It seems to be the most useful website there is, disappointing really! I guess not a lot of people go birding in Madeira lol
Yet there are LOADS of books on Madeira's flowers...
Maybe I'll have to start working on my own Madeira bird book lol
To be honest, I think you will get the books you are after when you visit the country.
We bought our two Menorcan bird books from a newagent and a Hotel in the local village. I believe that both books would not be for sale in the UK except as second hand on e-bay or something.
One of the books we have is selling on the website for £103.00 - we bought it for 15 Euros 2 years ago {eeek}
We also have a book on Menorcan Flowers too
Hope that you find what you are after and if I get any more answers I will add them onto this thread.
Hi Blackbird, the thing is I didn't see many non-plant field guides on the island, everything seemed to be plants, plants, plants and more plants lol One bird book I did find (I think it covered just the breeding birds on the island) didn't cover seabirds very well at all, at least it didn't have the mystery seabird I'd seen in it lol I also spotted a general guide but that was just a general overview. I would like to get something before going back so I can plan where to go a bit better as last time was more touring around the island and get an idea of what to look for for certain wildlife.
Hi,
Lots of good endemic birds on Madeira- and day trips out are possible.
http://www.madeirawindbirds.com/en/tours/madeira_full_day_birdwatching.html?gclid=CP-r38-hn58CFUQA4wodx0iCIA
S
For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides, binoculars, scopes, tripods, etc - put 'Birding Tips' into the search box