Hellenic Republic
Greece is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, Greece shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Sea of Crete and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin, featuring thousands of islands. The country comprises nine traditional geographic regions, and has a population of around 10.3 million. Athens is the nation’s capital and largest city; its metropolitan area has a population of 3.15 million people.
Greece consists of a mountainous, peninsular mainland jutting out into the sea at the southern end of the Balkans, ending at the Peloponnese peninsula (separated from the mainland by the canal of the Isthmus of Corinth) and strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Approximately 80% of Greece consists of mountains or hills, making the country one of the most mountainous in Europe. Mount Olympus, the mythical abode of the Greek Gods, culminates at Mytikas peak 9,573 feet, the highest in the country. Western Greece contains a number of lakes and wetlands and is dominated by the Pindus mountain range. The Pindus, a continuation of the Dinaric Alps, reaches a maximum elevation of 8,652 feet at Mt. Smolikas (the second-highest in Greece) and historically has been a significant barrier to east–west travel. Its extensions cross through the Peloponnese, ending in the island of Crete.
Vikos Gorge – ©Spotter7 CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Vikos Gorge, part of the Vikos-Aoos National Park in the Pindus range, is listed by the Guinness book of World Records as the deepest gorge in the world. Northeastern Greece features another high-altitude mountain range, the Rhodope range, spreading across the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace; this area is covered with vast, thick, ancient forests, including the famous Dadia Forest in the Evros regional unit, in the far northeast of the country. Extensive plains are primarily located in the regions of Thessaly, Central Macedonia, and Thrace. They constitute key economic regions as they are among the few arable places in the country.
Greece features a vast number of islands – between 1,200 and 6,000, depending on the definition, 227 of which are inhabited. Crete is the largest and most populous island; Euboea, separated from the mainland by the 60 m-wide Euripus Strait, is the second largest, followed by Lesbos and Rhodes. The Greek islands are traditionally grouped into the following clusters: the Argo-Saronic Islands in the Saronic gulf near Athens; the Cyclades, a large but dense collection occupying the central part of the Aegean Sea; the North Aegean islands, a loose grouping off the west coast of Turkey; the Dodecanese, another loose collection in the southeast between Crete and Turkey; the Sporades, a small tight group off the coast of northeast Euboea; and the Ionian Islands, located to the west of the mainland in the Ionian Sea.
Ionian Sea – ©Bogdan Giuşcă CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The climate of Greece is primarily Mediterranean, featuring mild to cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The Pindus mountain range strongly affects the climate of the country, as areas to the west of the range are considerably wetter on average (due to greater exposure to south-westerly systems bringing in moisture) than the areas lying to the east of the range (due to a rain shadow effect), resulting to some coastal areas in the south falling to the hot semi-arid climate. The mountainous areas and the higher elevations of northwestern Greece (parts of Epirus, Central Greece, Thessaly, Western Macedonia) as well as in the mountainous central parts of Peloponnese, including parts of the regional units of Achaea, Arcadia, and Laconia, feature an Alpine climate with heavy snowfalls during the winter.
Phytogeographically, Greece belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and is shared between the East Mediterranean province of the Mediterranean Region and the Illyrian province of the Circumboreal Region. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature and the European Environment Agency, the territory of Greece can be subdivided into six ecoregions: the Illyrian deciduous forests, Pindus Mountains mixed forests, Balkan mixed forests, Rhodope montane mixed forests, Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests, and Crete Mediterranean forests. Greece became the first country in the European Union to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas what should protect its marine biodiversity. Rare marine species such as the pinniped seals and the loggerhead sea turtle live in the seas surrounding mainland Greece, while its dense forests are home to the endangered brown bear, the Eurasian lynx, the roe deer, and the wild goat.
Birding Greece
Just a look at the map of Greece gives a rough idea of the diversity of its fauna and flora. The geographical location and the variety of habitat types determine its rich bird life. The mainland is characterised by high mountains and very rugged relief alternating with small valleys and farmland. Freshwater lakes and coastal lagoons form an important network of wetlands. And of course, the island archipelagos; more than 2,000 islands, some big, like Crete, some small rocky islets, are the home of nesting seabirds and Eleonora’s Falcons.
Greece has 196 Important Bird Areas (IBA). Highly threatened species breed here such as Dalmatian Pelican, Ferruginous Duck, Lesser Kestrel, Audouin’s Gull, Pygmy Cormorant, Black Vulture, Lammergeyer and Cinereous Bunting. During the winter species like White-headed Duck, Red-breasted Goose and Spotted Eagle frequent the IBA wetlands. Foreign birders, mainly originating from western and northern Europe, mainly seek species of southern and/or eastern European distribution and find it easy to locate birds like Ruddy Shelduck, Long-legged Buzzard, Levant Sparrowhawk, Rock Partridge, Chukar, Roller, Short-toed and Calandra Larks, Red-rumped Swallow, Black-eared Wheatear, Orphean, Sardinian, Rüppell’s, Olivaceous and Olive-tree Warblers, Rock and Krüper’s Nuthatches, Lesser Grey and Masked Shrikes, Spanish Sparrow, Cretzschmar’s and Black-headed Buntings, etc.
Small Prespa Lake – ©Spyros Liokis CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Spring is definitely the best season to visit Greece. The birds know it and so do the birders. Wherever you go you will enjoy it. West European birders prefer places like the lakes of Mikri Prespa and Kerkini, the Dadia forest, the coastal lagoons of northeast Greece and islands like Lesvos and Crete.
There is no tradition of ornithology in Greece. The Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS); the local partner of Bird Life International, was founded in 1982 but it saw a big period of growth during the 90s; its work is expanding all over the country. Although tourism is a very important source of foreign income, the State has never promoted birdwatching tourism. Organised sites with basic infrastructure for birding, are very scarce and it is rather difficult to obtain information. As a result foreign birders mainly visit the few well-promoted birding sites or classic mass-tourism resorts like Rhodes and Corfu. Thus they miss many important under-developed places like the lake Himaditis, the mountains of the northern borders and beautiful islands like Lemnos.
Greece is a fine place for birding and is largely unexplored. Trip reports are very useful to the HOS and are most welcome. Information on where to send them can be found at the HOS website.
See the individual pages for Corfu, Crete, Lesvos and Rhodes.
-
Number of bird species: 487
(As at June 2024)
-
Avibase
PDF ChecklistThis checklist includes all bird species found in Greece , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them. -
Wikipedia
Annotated ListThis is a list of the bird species recorded in Greece. The avifauna of Greece included a total of 478 species according to the Hellenic Rarities Committee of the Hellenic Ornithological Society (Ελληνική Ορνιθολογική Εταιρεία) with supplemental additions from Avibase as of May 2023. Of them, four have not been recorded since 1950 and 7 have been introduced by humans. -
eBird
PDF ChecklistThis checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
-
Birding in Greece - Travel Guide to Birdwatching Sites in Greece
| By Chris Vlachos, Roula Trigou & Lefteris Stavrakas | Hellenic Ornithological Society | 2013 | Paperback | 240 pages, colour photos, colour maps, colour tables | ISBN: 9789606861246 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of Greece
| By Rebecca Nason | Bloomsbury Publishing | 2020 | Paperback | 160 pages, colour photos | ISBN: 9781472949035 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of Prey of Greece
| By G Handrinos & A Demetropoulos | Efstathiadis Group | 1983 | Paperback | 200 pages, Colour illustrations | Out of Print | ISBN: 9789602263372 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birdwatching in Northern Greece - A Site Guide
| By Steve Mills | Birdwing | 2011 | Papberback | 158 pages, colour photos, b/w maps | ISBN: 9780956777003 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Finding Birds in Northern Greece
| By Dave Gosney | Easybirder | 2015 | DVD | Run Time 87 Minutes | All Region | ISBN: 9781907316494 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Finding Birds in Northern Greece
| By Dave Gosney | Easybirder| 2015 | Paperback | 44 Pages | 23 Black & White Maps | ISBN: 9781907316487 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Where to watch birds in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus
| By H Welch, L Rose, B Oddie, D Moore & H Sigg | Mitchell Beazley | 1996 | Paperback | 216 pages, 8 col plates, 30 b/w illustrations, 35 maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780600582328 Buy this book from NHBS.com
-
Antikythira Bird Observatory (ABO)
Observatory WebsiteSatellite ViewThe Antikythira Bird Observatory (ABO) is, up to date, the only bird observatory in Greece. It is run by the Hellenic Ornithological Society / BirdLife Greece and operates on the island of Antikythira, the wider marine area surrounding the island, as well as on the two adjacent islets of Prasonisi and Lagouvardos.
-
Natural History Museum - Thessaloniki
The Natural History Museum is in the grounds of the Zoo on Kedrinos Hill in the Hilia Dendra district. It opened in 1994, its purpose being to show the public the various species of fauna in Greece. All the animals and birds are displayed in natural attitudes and are in themed groups
-
Birdwing
WebsiteBirdWING (BirdWatching In Northern Greece) has been set up to raise awareness of birds in Greece and to raise money for the conservation and restoration of bird habitat in the region. Birdwing has over 600 members from all over the world… -
Hellenic Ornithological Society
WebsiteHellenic Ornithological Society is a conservation non-governmental organization for the protection of wild birds and their habitats in Greece. It was founded in 1982 and its mission is to ensure a sustainable natural environment for birds and people
-
*Protected areas of Greece
InformationSatellite ViewGreece has one biosphere reserve, two marine parks, four national parks, 8 RAMSAR sites and several other protected areas... -
NP Kerkini Lake
WebsiteSatellite ViewIn the north-west part of Serres Prefecture, just 40 Km from the town of Serres and about 100 Km from Thessaloniki, we can meet one of the most beautiful places in Greece, Lake Kerkini. Its unique wetland has been declared as National Park according to Ramsar Convention and it is one out of ten wetlands of International Importance of Greece. -
NP Prespa Lake
WebsiteSatellite ViewThe area contains three National Parks located in Albania (Prespa National Park), Greece, and the Republic of Macedonia respectively -
NP Rodia Wetlands
WebsiteSatellite ViewRodia Wetland Centre is situated in the old stone school in the village Strongili, on the boundaries of the Prefecture of Arta and Preveza, on the north-western side of the Amvrakikos Gulf. The area which is considered especially beautiful is protected by the RAMSAR International Convention on Wetlands, while recently it was declared a National Park -
Nestos Lakes
WebpageSatellite ViewThe 18 small Nestos Lakes and 8 brackish Lagoons are part of the large Nestos Delta, located in northeast Greece, about 200 km to the east of Thessaloniki. More than 320 species of birds, many rare reptiles and fresh water fish are living in or around the lakes and lagoons. 72 of the recorded birds are on the Red List. Rare species lile the Spur-winged Plover, the White-tailed and the Spotted Eagle breed here and the Pygmy Cormorant – the smallest existing cormorant, Spotted Eagle, as well as Dalmatian Pelican can be see regularly during the migratory period. Other rare species of the Nestos Delta are the Golden Jackal and the Otter. -
RAMSAR Greek Wetlands
InformationSatellite ViewThe convention entered into force in Greece on 21 December 1975. Greece currently has 10 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 163,501 hectares. -
SPA Evros Delta
InformationSatellite ViewIn Evros Delta hundreds of thousands of birds find shelter and food all year round, while it constitutes a very important natural resource for the local community, because of his value for fishing, stock breeding, agriculture, climate, flood protection, education, recreation, science. -
SPA WRf IBA Kalamas Delta
InformationSatellite ViewThe site comprises a canal with a delta of mudflats, saltmarshes, and lagoons. Two low hills are covered with dense scrub. Much of the area has been reclaimed for arable farming. -
Vikos–Aoös National Park
InformationSatellite ViewZagorohoria National Park is a paradise for exploring nature, long distance walking and hiking. The Dragon Lake, or Drakolimni, according to tradition houses the dragons of the past…
-
Birding Ecotours
Tour OperatorGreece is one of Europe’s oldest nations. Known also as the Hellenic Republic (its official name), or Hellas, it is a country where the sea influences life, as it has done for thousands of years. -
Fieldguides
Tour OperatorClassical Greece - Fine southeast European birding--at the peak of migration--with archaeological and cultural stops. -
Greece Bird Tours
Tour OperatorSince 2003, we have organised tailor-made birding tours, mainly around Athens. However, we also offer longer trips on the mainland as well as to Lemnos, Lesvos and Crete. -
Heatherlea
Tour OperatorSkyros - Relaxed Spring birding on an unspoilt Greek Island in the heart of the Aegean Sea -
Honeyguide
Tour OperatorThe district of Evros in the north-eastern region of Thrace, overlooking the border with Turkey, is one of the least developed areas of Greece -
Natural Greece
Tour OperatorNatural Greece organises high-quality, expert-led birding and wildlife tours in Greece. A warm welcome to all nature lovers! If you are looking for a professionally organised, expert-led wildlife holiday or tour, this is a great place to start. Here you find extraordinary nature travel experiences in Greece, a country with an exceptionally rich living nature. -
Naturetrek
Tour OperatorA relaxed-paced, 8-day birdwatching holiday to Lake Kerkini, one of the finest wetlands in Greece. -
Neophron Tours
Tour OperatorAutumn migration of waders is a really fascinating experience and all birders who enjoy observing waders will appreciate the richness of the well-preserved coastal lagoons of Northern Greece. -
Odyssey Tours - Birding Tours in Greece
Tour OperatorWe offer a variety of solo and escorted birding tours in Northern Greece… -
Oriole Birding
Tour OperatorBeautiful Lake Kerkini lies in the north of Greece, only one hours drive from the city of Thessaloniki. -
Traventuria
GuidingOne-day birding tour to Lake Kerkini (Northern Greece) -
VentBird
Tour OperatorJoin us on an unforgettable voyage as we circumnavigate the beautiful Peloponnese with a focus on the history and culture of ancient Greece and the natural world of present-day Greece.
-
2015 [01 January] - Greenwings
PDF ReportThe base for our holiday was Chrysohorafa, a village located within Lake Kerkini National Park, northern Greece. It is a magical area for observing wildlife and particularly birdwatching and is an internationally renowned wetland site with protected status under the Ramsar Convention. It is also one of the best places in the world to see the globally endangered Dalmatian Pelican. The Park boasts over 300 bird species. -
2015 [04 Aopril] - Natural Greece - Northern Greece
PDF ReportThe birdwatching sites visited during this 8-day trip starting from Thessaloniki include: Lake Kerkini, Mount Belles, Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli forest, Evros Delta, Lake Ismarida, Porto Lagos, Nestos. -
2015 [11 November] - Christopher Hall - Lake Kerkini NP
Report... Next sightings include a couple of Ferruginous Ducks on the same pool as two Black-necked Grebes with sparkling ruby red eyes. After a picnic lunch in the sunshine we head for the nearby ridge of mountains which form the border with Bulgaria to the north, and a Golden Eagle soon appears on the skyline, followed by an immature one with white wing patches and a white tail.... -
2016 [04 April] - Robin & Rachel Hamilton
PDF ReportAnother black-winged stilt arrived and showed well in the 'scope and a blue-headed wagtail came down to feed. That was joined by three pipits, which to our delight turned out to be red-throated – two fine males and a female. -
2016 [04 April] - Stephen Burch - North East Greece: Lake Kerkini area
ReportLast year I had made a successful spring visit to Turkey in search of Brown Fish Owl etc. Having acquired a taste for eastern European birding, this year I thought I'd try another area not too far away. For almost as long as I can remember, the pelicans, pygmy cormorants and other water birds to be found in various lakes in Greece and the old Yugoslavia had interested me. -
2016 [05 May] - Greenwings
PDF ReportOur holiday was based in Chrysohorafa, a small village located within Lake Kerkini National Park, North Greece. It is a truly magical area for observing wildlife and particularly birdwatching and is an internationally renowned wetland site with protected status under the Ramsar Convention. -
2016 [12 December] - Iordan Hristov - Lake Kerkini
PDF ReportI guided a group of 15 students on bird identification trip to lake Kerkini in the weekend December 10-11, 2016. We saw a total of 70 birds. Some the highlights were Dalmatian Pelican, Greater spotted Eagle, Lesser spotted Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Bittern, Greater Flamingo, Pygmy Cormorant, Bewick Swans and many more. -
2018 [02 February] - Simeon Gigov - Lake Kerkini
PDF Report...hundreds of Dalmatian Pelicans, 2 Glossy Ibises (unusually wintering here),Eurasian Spoonbills, at least 9 Greater Spotted Eagles (including 1 fulvescens type), BlacktailedGodwits, 3 Lesser Spotted and 2 Syrian Woodpeckers, Merlin, 2 Peregrine Falcons,Great Grey Shrike, several flocks of Long-tailed Tit, multiple singing Cetti's Warblers, 2Black Redstarts, Grey Wagtail, 3 Meadow Pipits and more than a dozen Hawfinches. Justbefore we left for lunch we spotted an adult Pallas's Gull... -
2018 [05 May] - Mark Graham - Northern Greece
Report...A very loud Great Reed Warbler seldom stopped singing all the time we were there. Four Squacco Herons were seen on 9th May and this heralded their arrival in the area for the summer. There were some Cetti's Warblers nearby. A Mallard with a young family was resident here. Moorhen were sometimes heard... -
2019 [02 February] - Natural Greece
ReportHave you ever considered taking a Lake Kerkini Birding Break in winter? The 3 friends Mike, Bob and Steve from the UK decided to give it a try, on 8-11 February 2019. Here’s their trip report. -
2019 [06 June] - Mike Neale
PDF ReportA Late Spring visit to Northern Greece. Highlights included the driving along picturesque roads, trekking in wonderful valleys and magnificent views of Dalmatian and White Pelicans, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbills, Pygmy Cormorants, 4 species of Shrikes, Golden Orioles, Penduline tits and Black headed Buntings as well as several great Insects and Reptiles. Bird numbers were not high, perhaps 3 weeks earlier would have been ideal. Weather was variable, rain storms and then temperatures up to 30°C. People were very friendly and Food excellent. -
2023 [03 March] - Spyros - Athens area
ReportBy this time of the year birdwatching can be tricky, since the last days of winter overlap with the first days of spring. Therefore, there might be exciting days with lots of migrants, but also days with very few species due to weather condition. -
2024 [05 May] - Wingspan - Lake Kerkini
PDF ReportThe was the quintessential ideal birding trip, the weather was superb throughout, the birds performed magnificently, and we had had a wonderful bunch of people for company.
-
Birds of Thassos
WebsiteThe Thásos list can be extended to 215 species: Handrinos & Demetropoulos (1983) indicate that Griffon vultures formerly bred on Thásos but this species now appears to be extinct on the island. My own observations add two further species - fan-tailed warbler (frequent in scrubby olive groves around Thassos Town in June 1982) and crag martin over Thassos Town with other hirundines on 11 September 1993… -
Birdwatching in Northern Greece
WebsiteBirdWING.eu is raising money and awareness for the conservation and restoration of bird habitat in Northern Greece. It also provides information about birds and birdwatching sites in the region -
Deep in birds
WebsiteThis is an effort to present some photos & videos etc. mainly about birds but also other taxa & nature topics. The majority will be from Greece
-
Athens Birds
BLOGBirds of Athens… Last updated March 2016 -
Hellenic Birds & Wildlife
BLOGMostly in Greek but with some English pages – this is a joint effort by an number of Greek wildlife enthusiasts… -
Mount Olympus
BLOGPhotos of birds and other wildlife taken on Mount Olympus… Last updated October 2017 -
Nature in Greece
BLOGBirds and birding in Greece… in Greek