Current view: Text account
Site description (2002 baseline):
Site location and context
West tip of Madeira island. The Ponta do Pargo presents a large diversity of habitats that confers a great importance to birds. The coast is constituted by rocky steep cliffs and fajãs (areas of cliffs collapse). In the highest zone there are agricultural parcels and herbaceous vegetation interrupted by shrub fences. We can also find pine-woods, eucalyptus,grasslands and shrublands.
Ponta do Pargo is a very important place for birds due to its habitat diversity that allows a great variety of species. Fajãsand seacliffs hold impotant colonies of
Oceanodroma castro and other seabirds like
Calonectris diomedea. In cliffs we can also find
Apus unicolor. Arable lands are not only important to species like
Serinus canaria or
Anthus berthelottii, but also to birds of prey like
Accipiter nisus grantii, who nests in pine-woods and eucalyptus, and hunts here.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main threat for this area is tourism pressure and the possibility of development of tourist projects with impact on birds populations.
National none
International none
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ponta do Pargo (Portugal). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ponta-do-pargo-iba-portugal on 23/11/2024.
