• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
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• Reference and further resources

Site description (2002 baseline)
Extensive forest area that covers near 25% of Madeira island. Is mainly located in the northern half of the island. The majority vegetation is constituted by native forest (laurissilva) and associated species. Steep banks, deep valleys and abrupt slopes are all around the area, this and the dense vegetaton become inaccessible some places.

Key biodiversity
Columba trocaz is strongly associated to laurissilva, its main habitat. Here, we can find many other interesting species like Puffinus puffinus who breeds in some highly vegetated upstream banks, or Accipiter nisus grantii who hunts in forest's limit areas. Scolopax rusticola resides and breeds here, far away from its habitual reproduction area. Calonectris diomedea breeds sparsely in this area. Although its populations are not well known here, Bulweria bulwerii and Oceanodroma castro are frequently observed. At steepest areas several Apus unicolor colonies are found, and some Serinus canaria in openest zones. In addition to that, is important the presence of some endemic sub-species: Motacilla cinerea schmitzi, Fringilla coelebs maderiensis, Regulus ignicapillus madeirensis or Erithacus rubecula microrynchus.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Laurissilva (Portugal). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/laurissilva-iba-portugal on 22/11/2024.