Azores bullfinch  (Pyrrhula murina)

Range

Found only in eastern São Miguel in the Azores archipelago, Portugal (3). Practically the whole population resides on slopes around Pica da Vara, although juveniles are regularly observed at Salto do Cavalo. Locally abundant in the 19th century, numbers of the Azores bullfinch began to rapidly decline after the 1920s, reaching a critically low number of just 30 to 40 pairs in the late 1970s. The most recent survey in 2004 estimated there to be a declining population of around 203 individuals (2).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

Found from 300 to 800 m above sea level, with seasonal variation in vegetation occupation. In summer (May to November), these birds choose bare ground with short vegetation (less than 2 m high) and forest margins (3). Exotic vegetation such as plantations of Japanese Red Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and copses of Pittosporum undulatum, within 200 m of native forest are also used during summer (2) (3). During winter (January to April) the Azores bullfinch appears to be limited to a 5.8 km² area of native vegetation (2).

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