Autonomous Region of the Azores

The Azores are a group of nine islands that form a semi-autonomous region of Portugal. They are situated in the northern Atlantic west of Portugal, roughly one third of the distance to North America, 1,400 kilometres from mainland Portugal. They cover an area of 2,351 km² (908 square miles) with a population of around 240,000 people. The archipelago has three groups – Flores and Corvo in the west, a central group consisting of Faial, Sao Jorge, Graciosa, Terceira and Pico, and Sao Miguel and Santa Maria in the east. The most developed islands are Sao Miguel and Terceira, and to a lesser extent Faial. Mount Pico on the island of Pico is the highest point in the Azores and in the whole of Portugal, rising to 7,713 feet.

The climate is generally mild for such a northerly location, being influenced by the passing Gulf Stream. Temperatures remain mild year-round, with daytime normally fluctuating between 16 and 25 degrees centigrade, depending on the season. Temperatures above 30 degrees or below 3 degrees are unknown in the population centres. The islands are also generally wet and cloudy.

Fogo Lake, St Miguel Island – ©Luis Ascenso CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The main industries are agriculture, with the predominance of dairy farming and livestock, fishing and tourism. The largest city, and administrative capital is Ponte Delgada.

Even though the Azores look very green and sometimes wild, the vegetation has been extremely altered. A great part of it has been wiped out in the past 600 years for its valuable wood and to clear land for agriculture.

Birding the Azores

Transport between the islands is straightforward except in the winter months when schedules are frequently disrupted by the weather. All the islands have airfields, with flights to Lisbon and a few other international sites departing from Terceira and Sao Miguel. Inter-island flights are operated by TAP and SATA. Ferries operate within the central group year-round and more extensively in the summer season. Most flights to and from the islands are via Lisbon, although there are direct flights between the Azores and Madeira.

Sao Miguel – ©Tiomax80 CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The islands attract birders for four main reasons. Firstly, being so much nearer America than continental Europe, and Britain of course, the islands have an excellent record for attracting trans-Atlantic vagrants, especially water birds. One site, a disused coastal quarry at Cabo da Praia on Terceira, has an unrivalled reputation as the best western Palaearctic site for American waders, and birds have been found at many other sites. American birds tend to be found throughout the autumn and often stay for the winter.

Secondly, the islands host healthy numbers of breeding seabirds such as Cory’s Shearwater and Roseate Tern, and the colonies have recently been found to harbour individuals of highly sought after species such as Sooty Tern, Red-billed Tropicbird and even Bermuda Petrel. At least one species breeds nowhere else; the

Thirdly, large numbers of migrating sea-birds can be seen, especially in late August and September. And fourthly, there are two Azorean endemics; the Azores Bullfinch and the Azores Chaffinch, with the former found in one area of forest at the eastern end of Sao Miguel and the latter more widespread; there are also endemic subspecies such as of Goldcrest and Grey Wagtail amongst others.

Mount Pico – ©The Cosmonaut CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Being at the junction of three continental plates the islands are subjected to volcanic activity and earthquakes. The resulting landscape is often spectacular, and the site of the fairly recent eruption at Capelhinos, the western tip of Faial, is particularly memorable, as is the area of calderas and crater lakes in central Flores.

Prices on the islands are comparable with mainland Portugal. Roads are generally good, and there is a wide variety of accommodation available. The main tourist season finishes in September, when the weather becomes less settled.