Located in a privileged position, in the centre of the Atlantic Ocean, between Europe and America, the Azores archipelago has a considerable wealth of fauna and flora, with a significant number of native species.
Being part of the Macaronesian biogeographical region, one of the richest in biodiversity in Europe, it is part of the migratory route of many birds, functioning for some species as a nesting and reproduction place.
Therefore, it presents a significant ornithological abundance, especially the kites, the wood pigeon, the common pigeon, the Azores bullfinch, the Atlantic canary, and also some seabirds that nest in the archipelago, such as Cory’s shearwater, the common tern, the Monteiro’s storm petrel, as well as the gulls. In this context, Corvo Island has been particularly noteworthy, being considered the best place in Europe to spot rare American birds.
As for land animals, apart from the São Miguel hound and the cows that populate the green Azorean landscape, there are species such as the wild rabbit, the least weasel, the ferret, the hedgehog, and the Azores noctule, which is the only land mammal that is native to the archipelago.
In the waters of the archipelago, the cetacean species are of particular importance, namely sperm whales, beaked whales and dolphins, and some types of sharks have also been reported.
Besides these species, there are also swordfish, tuna, skipjack tuna, eels, moray eels, and blue jack mackerel, not to mention octopuses, sea urchins, starfish, limpets, and cracas (local barnacles). Trout, perch, carp, and pike are frequent in freshwater streams.
In terms of flora, some spots of Laurissilva forest stand out, namely on the islands of Pico, Terceira, and São Miguel. The main endemic forest species include the laurel, heather, ling, cedar, and pau-branco.
The Azores archipelago is particularly known for its flowers, among which are hydrangeas, camellias, and azaleas, but also the Azores bellflower, an endemic Azorean flower.