The Animals of Fuerteventura: Camels, Goats and Many Birds

Fuerteventura is the second largest island in the Canarian archipelago. It has a reputation for attracting water sports lovers and bathers to its white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. What many people don’t know is that the island has a fabulous variety of plant life associated with the island’s desert terrain. Species include thorny scrubs, yellow gorse, and hawthorn. The island also has a wide variety of animal life of which the following text will act as a guide.

The Egyptian vulture and other birds of the island

Some of the birds that inhabit Fuerteventura are migratory whilst others remain all year round. The Egyptian vulture is a very special bird. It is the only type of vulture that exists in the Canary Islands, and it is at risk of extinction. This is why the Canary Islands is actively working to protect the bird. Other astonishing birds that can be found on the islands include Canarian hubaras, shearwaters, harriers, great plovers, gray plovers, egrets, corredors, and eurasian hoopoes. A great place to observe birds such as these is the Bird Observatory of Fuerteventura. 

Majorero mammals and the camels that are actually dromedaries

One of the most significant mammals on the island is the majorera goat. It is a native breed on and is very important in dairy production. Its milk is used to make, amongst other products, the famous Majorero cheese. 

There is also a majorero camel which is actually a dromedary (a type of Arabian camel). It arrived on the island in the early 15th century, and it is recognised as the only indigenous European breed of camel. It is estimated that in 1590 about 4000 dromedaries were used for transport in Furteventura. Currently specialists in in the Canary Islands are working hard to prevent several subsets of this particular breed of dromedary from falling into extinction.

Let's not forget the insects! 

Insects often have a bad reputation, but this isn’t fair. For instance the Vanessa de los Cardos butterfly is a wonderful example of a bug which will delight onlookers. It is one of the few European migratory butterflies and the only butterfly that migrates between Europe and Africa. Another bug that is pleasing to observe is the majorera bee which is known to produce exquisite honey when placed in a setting with desert flowers such as mesembryanthemum crystallinum, perforate St John's-wort, prickly pear, and agave americana.