First, the disappointment. The canaries of the Canary Islands are drabber that you might hope. Their yellow domestic cousins have been selectively bred for purity of color. In the wild, these members of the finch family tend to be tinged green, and flit unobtrusively between trees.

But now the good news. The Canary Islands are a vital refueling stop for birds migrating between Africa and Europe, and also harbor five unique species: Bolle’s pigeon, the laurel pigeon, the blue chaffinch, the Canary Islands chiffchaff and the Canary Islands chat.

Around 200 species have been recorded here, and although the migrants are in greatest concentrations during spring and fall, there are interesting sightings to be made throughout the year.

The arid islands to the east of Tenerife are home to a unique subspecies of the houbara bustard, a large sandy-colored bird that has long been the favored quarry for people hunting with falcons in North Africa and the Middle East. Consequently, it is on the brink of extinction across most of its range. The Canary Islands provide a rare opportunity to see this magnificent bird in the wild.