2019Europa - Madeira - First Day Cover MS

Next to the Atlantic Ocean and at the western tip of Europe, Portugal sits at the centre of a favouredight path for many species of migratory birds - theEast Atlantic Flyway, which links the birds’ breeding grounds in northern Europe with their wintering areas in the Mediterranean basin or on the African continent. At the same time, its location at one of the geographic extremes of the Mediterranean Sea, where is it easiest to cross this broad body of water, means that it is possible to observe on Portuguese soil thousands of birds that seasonally use another important migratory corridor - the Mediterranean and Black Sea Flyway. This is an important route for gliding birds that depend on the thermal currents that form over the land, such as birds of prey or storks.