The most common species of marine birds seen on our whale and dolphin watching tours in Tenerife.

Marine Bird Species in Tenerife

What Marine and Coastal Bird Species are in Tenerife?

Calonectris borealis
Cory’s Shearwater

The Cory’s Shearwater is a seasonal visitor to Tenerife and between spring and early fall it is the most commonly seen marine bird species seen on our whale watching tours. They migrate to the Canary Islands to reproduce and raise their chicks. Their offspring are typically ready to leave the nest in late September.

Cory’s Shearwaters are true oceanic birds where they eat mostly fish, often diving underwater to hunt fish. They can hold their breath for over a minute and dive up to 15 meters deep! We often see them following several species of hunting dolphins as the dolphins drive fish towards the surface making the Shearwaters own hunting efforts more effective.

Larus michahellis
Yellow Legged Gull

The Yellow Legged gull is a large marine bird that resides in Tenerife and is the second most common species of bird seen on our whale and dolphin watching tours. They nest in colonies along the cliffs of Costa Adeje and spend the day hunting for fish often alongside pods of dolphins.

Yellow legged gulls are unique to the eastern Atlantic Ocean. They are a large gull reaching a wingspan of 150cm and up to 1.6 kilograms in weight. There is a bright red ring around the eye and on adults a red spot on the bill. They often are seen attacking smaller species of birds to steal their meals. Omnivorous, they are known to ingest plastics and other marine debris causing mortality in this large gull species.

Tenerife Marine Bird Species Gallery