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Tenerife

Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea ©Miguel Angel Peña Estévez, via wikimedia commons Website

Tenerife is the largest and most populated island of the seven Canary Islands. It is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034 square kilometres (785 square miles) and almost one million inhabitants, almost half of the total population of the Canary Islands. It is also the largest and most populous island of Macaronesia. Well over seven million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the most visited island of the archipelago. The capital of the island is Santa Cruz de Tenerife, one of the co-capitals of the Canaries as a whole.

The oldest mountain ranges in Tenerife rose from the Atlantic Ocean by volcanic eruption which gave birth to the island around twelve million years ago. The island as it is today was formed three million years ago by the fusion of three islands made up of the mountain ranges of Anaga, Teno and Valle de San Lorenzo, due to volcanic activity from Teide. The volcano is visible from most parts of the island today, and the crater is 17 kilometres (11 miles) long at some points.

Tenerife has a generally dry, warm climate with two main different climatic areas. One is hot, semi-arid or arid in coastal areas and the other the subtropical Mediterranean climate, which is found inland or at higher altitudes. Coastal temperatures range from 18 °C in the winter months to 26 °C in the summer. There’s a high annual total of days of sunshine and very low precipitation along the coast. The inland areas and high altitudes, such as at La Laguna, are wetter, cloudier and cooler, with an average of 13 °C in the winter and 21 °C in the summer.

El Chinyero Special Nature Reserve – ©dronepicr CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The moderate climate of the island is controlled to a great extent by the trade winds, whose humidity is condensed principally over the north and northeast of the island, creating cloud banks. The cold sea currents of the Canaries also have a cooling effect on the coast and its beaches, while the topography of the land plays a role in the climatic differences, with its many valleys and high peaks. Because of these wetter conditions, the centre of the island is characterised by forests, mostly of Canary Island pine, in the Teide National Park. There are also some sub-tropical cloud forests, found in the Anaga Rural Park and the Monte de Agua in the Tino Rural Park.

Birding Tenerife

Teide National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is located in the centre of the island. In it, Mount Teide rises as the highest elevation of Spain, the highest of the islands of the Atlantic Ocean, and the third-largest volcano in the world from its base. Also on the island, the Macizo de Anaga (massif) has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2015. It has the largest number of endemic species in Europe.

Teide National Park – ©Berthold Werner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite its small size, the island has a remarkable diversity of both flora and fauna, mostly due to the special environmental conditions where the distinct geography modifies the general climatic conditions at local levels, producing a significant variety of microclimates. And these in turn allow many different species of plant to exist on the island, with over 1400 species known and well over 100 of those endemic. There are also five reptiles, two amphibians and 13 land mammals and thousands of vertebrates, particular variety among the Lepidoptera.

Barranco del Infierno – ©Ronny Siegel CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Among the mouth-watering bird species unique to the islands, the two endemic laurel pigeons, Bolle’s Pigeon Columba bolli and Laurel Pigeon Columba junoniae, the Tenerife Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea and the subspecies Tenerife Kinglet Regulus regulus teneriffae and Canary Islands Chiffchaff Phylloscopus canariensis are best seen during a visit to Tenerife.

A day trip to the Las Lajas picnic site is probably the best place to see the Blue Chaffinch as well as the distinctive local race of the Great Spotted Woodpecker. The distinct Canary Blue Tit Parus teneriffae and of course Canary Serinus canaria also abound. Other sought-after species include Trumpeter Finch, Berthelot’s Pipit, Barbary Falcon, Barbary Partridge, Rock Sparrow (rare), the local race of buzzard, kestrel as well as Plain and Pallid Swift. A seawatch might turn up Scopoli’s Shearwater and Bulwer’s Petrel that breed in rocky islets off shore.

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Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 350

    (As at May 2026)
Endemics

  • Number of endemics: 1

    Tenerife Blue Chaffinch Fringilla teydea
Checklist

  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Tenerife , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.

  • eBird

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Useful Reading

  • Crossbill Guide: Canary Islands, Volume 2: Tenerife and La Gomera

    | By Dirk Hilbers & Kees Woutersen | KNNV Uitgeverij | 2024 | Paperback | 240 pages, colour photos, colour illustrations, colour maps | ISBN: 9789491648328 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Natural History of Tenerife

    | By Philip & Myrtle Ashmole | Whittles Publishing | 2016 | Paperback | 400 pages, colour photos, colour maps | ISBN: 9781849952255 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Where to Watch Birds in Tenerife

    | By Eduardo Garcia del Rey | Turquesa Publicaciones | 2000 | Paperback | 148 pages, Colour photos, colour illustrations, line illustrations, distribution maps, tables | ISBN: 9788495412065 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • BG Palmetum of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

    InformationSatellite View
    The Palmetum of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a botanical garden of 120.000 m² specialized in palms (Arecaceae) . It is an artificial hill, with views of the ocean, located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The gardens include a large system of waterfalls, streams and ponds, a museum dedicated to palms, and a display shade house.

  • NP Teide

    InformationSatellite View
    The national park is centered on Mount Teide, the highest mountain of Spain (3,718 meters high) in addition, the highest volcano in the Atlantic Ocean islands and the third highest volcano in the world from its base in the ocean floor (7.500 meters high). The park has an area of 18,990 hectares located in the municipality of La Orotava. Ten species of bird nest in the park. These include the blue chaffinch (Fringilla teydea teydea); Berthelot's pipit (Anthus berthelotii berthelotii); the Atlantic canary (Serinus canaria); and a subspecies of kestrel (Falco tinnunculus canariensis). Three endemic reptile species are also found in the park – the Canary Island lizard (Gallotia galloti galloti), the Canary Island wall gecko (Tarentola delalandii), and the Canary Island skink (Chalcides viridanus viridanus).

  • NR Barranco del Infierno

    InformationSatellite View
    The Barranco del Infierno ( "Hell's Gorge") is a ravine located in the town of Adeje in the south of the island of Tenerife.

  • NR Macizo de Anaga

    InformationSatellite View
    Macizo de Anaga is a mountain range in the northeastern part of the island. The highest point is 1,024 m (Cruz de Taborno). It stretches from the Punta de Anaga in the northeast to Cruz del Carmen in the southwest. Anaga features the mountain peaks of Bichuelo, Anambro, Chinobre, Pico Limante, Cruz de Taborno and Cruz del Carmen. The mountains were formed by a volcanic eruption about 7 to 9 million years ago making it the oldest part of the island. Since 1987 it has been protected as a "natural park".

  • NR Malpaís de Güímar

    InformationSatellite View
    Malpaís de Güímar or Badlands of Guimar consist of a volcanic cone, subsidiary cones, and several basaltic lava flows in the Güímar municipality on the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, Spain. They total in area about 290 hectares. The lava flows are quite recent; typically less than 10,000 years old. In 1987, part of the Malpaís de Güímar was set aside as a protected park called the Reserva Natural del Malpaís de Güímar
Sightings, News & Forums
Guides & Tour Operators

  • 4-Hour Tenerife Island Birdwatching Tour

    Half-Day Tourt
    Embark on a concise four-hour tour of Tenerife, guided by experts. Explore the largest Canary Island and spot various birds, including waders, migratory species, and notable birds of prey such as the Barbary Falcon and Osprey. Encounter endemic treasures like the Canary bird, Canary Raven, Blue Chaffinch, and more before concluding the tour with unforgettable avian sightings.

  • Eco Tours Tenerife

    Local Tour Operator
    Discover the emblematic birds of Tenerife, from raptors to seabirds, on a 100% private tour customisable with an ornithologist guide...

  • GeoTenerife

    Local Tour Operator
    The island offers a tapestry of habitats teeming with avian life, from lush laurel forests to volcanic landscapes. Coastal cliffs provide nesting sites for seabirds like the Cory’s Shearwater and the Bulwer’s Petrel, while inland forests host species such as the endemic Blue Chaffinch and the elusive Laurel Pigeon.

  • One Day In Tenerife (ODITEN)

    Day Tours
    Led by one of the most prestigious local naturalists, we will head to several different habitats in Tenerife, looking for our emblematic endemic birds, beautiful birds of prey or, depending on the season, the little-known mutualistic relationships between passerines and plant flowers, exclusive to this archipelago.
Trip Reports

  • 2019 [02 February] - OPSBirds

    Report
    This was a short winter break with my wife, to Garachico, a lovely small town on the North coast of Tenerife. We went on 3 walks in places where I thought I could pick up some of the endemics of the island, which was pretty successful.

  • 2020 [11 November] - Bob Swann

    PDF Report
    ...19th November. We arrived around midday and picked up the car from the very efficient Autoreisen staff at the airport. Drove into Arrecife and down to the shore to search for the Belted Kingfisher that had been present since the 8 th November. There was a strong northerly wind and despite searching much of the shore we could not find the bird. The rocky platforms along the shoreline, especially around Castillo de San Gabriel held a variety of waders with small numbers of Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Grey Plover, Sanderling, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Whimbrel and a single Dunlin. There were also Little Egrets, Grey Heron and two Great Cormorant. In the bay a large flock of Yellow-legged Gulls, with up to three Lesser Black-backed Gull and a first winter Mediterranean Gull. Offshore up to nine Sandwich Tern...

  • 2022 [01 January] - Jos & Pieter Gorissen

    PDF Report
    Tenerife is a great destination for birdwatchers due to its unique geographical location and diverse habitats. The island, which is part of the Canary Islands, offers a range of ecosystems from dense laurel forests to rugged volcanic landscapes, making it home for interesting bird species...

  • 2022 [03 March] - Brendan Ryan

    PDF Report
    I visited the island with my wife with the aim of both cycling and ticking off the island’s endemic birds and taking out some insurance on some of the more distinctive subspecies. My wife’s ambitions were solely focussed on the former aim alone.

  • 2022 [03 March] - Sam Bosanquet

    PDF Report
    .... I had minor unfinished business after my previous visit to Tenerife in March 2019, as I had missed the endemic meadewaldoi subspecies of Linnet (!) and my last views of White-tailed Laurel Pigeon were distant and murky. Other 2019 misses, such as canariensis Long-eared Owl and Di Barolo’s Shearwater seemed unlikely, but I wanted to give them a shot with some night drives and seawatching. Finally, I hoped to have enough time to enjoy some Tenerife botany on a five-day visit rather than my hurried 3 days in 2019...

  • 2024 [04 April] - Adam Hartley (Gnome)

    Report
    K, my eldest daughter, was going to La Palma in the Canary Islands for work. She's an astronomer and visits regularly to take measurments at the observatory there where the air quality and light pollution are both very good for astronomy work. She suggested that maybe after her visit was finished, she and I could explore Tenerife a bit as she'd never really seen it much. I was keen to do this as it would involve both exploring a new and interesting area and a chance to get in some international birding.

  • 2026 [01 January] -

    PDF Report
    In Swedish
Other Links

  • Birds that can be seen on Tenerife

    Information
    The island of Tenerife has many different habitats, ranging from mountains and forests to semi-desert coastal plains and farmland. Not surprisingly it has a wide range of birds and some of these are very rare endemic species….

  • Nature & Wildlife of Tenerife

    Information
    A warm welcome to this page about the nature and wildlife of Tenerife. It complements the Crossbill nature travel guide to Tenerife and La Gomera.

  • WebTenerife Birdwatching

    Webpage
    The Island is known to be home to some 70 species of breeding birds, several of which are endemic. There are a total of 21 perfect birding spots dotted all over the Island, in the mountains, on the coast or in between.
Blogs

  • Victor Cardoso - Naturaleza Cercana

    BLOG
    Last updated 2016
Photographers & Artists

  • Digiscoping Tenerife

    Gallery
    Website dedicado a las aves de Islas Canarias, algunas fotograf

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