Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura literally meaning ‘strong fortune’ but translated by some as ‘Strong Winds’ or a corruption of the French term for ‘Great Adventure’ is one of the Canary Islands. It lies in the Atlantic Ocean and is part of the North Africa region geographically, but politically, is part of Spain. Covering 1,660 square kilometres (641 square miles), located just 100 km (62 miles) off the coast of north Africa, it is the second largest of the Canary Islands, after Tenerife with a population nof around 125,000 people. The island is 100 kilometres (62 miles) long and just 31 kilometres (19 miles) wide. It is part of the province of Las Palmas and has six municipalities and its capital is Puerto del Rosario.

The entire island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO (May 2009). The climate on Fuerteventura is pleasant throughout the year, and often referred to as the island of eternal spring and is at the same latitude as Florida. The sea regulates air temperature, diverting hot Sahara winds away from the island. During the winter months, temperatures average a high of 22 °C and a low of around 15 °C, whereas during the summer a mean high of 28 °C and a low of 20 °C can be expected. Precipitation is just 6 inches per year, most of which falls in autumn and winter. December is the month with highest rainfall although most runs off into the see as the forests were felled in Victorian times and the vegetation denuded by overgrazing. Water is now sourced by desalinating seawater. Attempts have been made to replant the pine forests, with mixed success.

©Luc.T CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

It has many long white sand beaches, but a third of the island’s beaches are black volcanic shingle.  The highest point in Fuerteventura is Pico de la Zarza standing at 2648 ft (807 m) in the southwestern part of the island. Geographical features include Istmo de la Pared which is 5 km (3 mi) wide and is the narrowest part of Fuerteventura. The island is divided into two parts, the northern portion which is Maxorata and the southwestern part called the Jandía peninsula.

Birding Fuerteventura

The island is home to one of the two surviving populations of the threatened Canarian Egyptian vulture. On the barren, rocky land there are Barbary ground squirrels and geckos. It is the only place in the world that the Canary Island Chat is found (a separate subspecies on the islets of Allegranza and Montaña Clara to the north of Lanzarote is now unfortunately extinct).

View from Pico de la Palma – ©Jakub Krajňák, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Other interesting species best seen on Fuerteventura include the Barbary Partridge, Cream-Coloured Courser, Lesser Short-toed Lark, Spectacled Warbler, Berthelot’s Pipit, Hoopoe, Southern Grey Shrike and Trumpeter Finch. A good tip for birding in the Canaries is to head for fresh water, as birds tend to congregate around it, especially on the very dry Eastern islands. Sadly, there are many feral cats and dogs.

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