Rubén Barone
 ·  30 July 2023  12:30

Hi, Eduard.

Did you see the species (or subspecies) in several localities of the island? And on Porto Santo?

Best regards. 

Eduard Sangster
 ·  30 July 2023  14:14

Hi Rubén, we heard 3 birds (male, female, young) at the classic spot near Funchal (Christo Rei) and we saw one bird at the east coast (undisclosed site). We did not visited Porto Santo.  

Rubén Barone
 ·  30 July 2023  14:52

OK, thanks for the response. I have heard Barn Owls during the night even in the centre of Funchal. It seems a relatively common species on Madeira, and also on Porto Santo.

Best regards. 

Diedert Koppenol
 ·  31 July 2023  17:11

I would be quite surprised to find it relatively common on Madeira, Rubén. I had the feeling it is quite uncommon and perhaps one of the scarcest birds on the island.

Rubén Barone
 ·  31 July 2023  22:24

Hi again.

Well, my impression is mainly based on fieldwork undertaken during the night in several areas of the main island, and also on Porto Santo. I have heard it in the highest areas of Madeira, but also not far from the coast (including Funchal), and on Porto Santo we detected it in more than six sites, not bad for such a small island. The species is under-detected unless you spend a lot of time doing fieldwork by night. Madeira has deep geography, and plenty of ravines, which offer a very good habitat for the Barn Owl. 

Best regards. 

Max Berlijn
 ·  31 July 2023  22:57, gewijzigd 31 July 2023  22:57

How easy was it to see (hearing was for me not a real problem). Did you have good placets to SEE it?

Rubén Barone
 ·  1 August 2023  00:22

On Porto Santo, we detected the species (including some nocturnal observations) in sites like the surroundings of Cabeço da Ponta, Serra de Dentro, close to Pico do Facho, surroundings of the Portela panoramic viewpoint, Pico Branco-Terra Châ and Serra de Fora. We published a small paper about its diet in Porto Santo and Fogo (Cape Verde Islands); see:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/28312147_Notes_on_the_diet_of_Tyto_alba_in_two_oceanic_islands_from_the_Mid-Atlantic_Porto_Santo_and_Fogo_Aves_Tytonidae

Best regards. 

Max Berlijn
 ·  1 August 2023  05:34

Thx, maybe I will do a family holiday to Porto Santo in the coming years to have some nights to try to see (instead of only hear) it. It seems the best place for it?

Rubén Barone
 ·  1 August 2023  11:12

Dear Max,

Try in the areas I mentioned. I remember hearing juveniles or chicks calling at the nest in the area of Serra de Fora. 

Best regards.