This is a blog for bird lovers!
About two weeks ago, I spotted a new (for me) bird, the Grey Wagtail (Staxtosousourada in Greek). It came In my backyard. The image below is not mine. It's from Wikipedia.
My video was not of great quality to include here.
Fun Facts:
In the center of Athens alone one can see more than 150 birds!
In the region of Attica, that number rises up to 320...
And all over Greece, you can see 460 species of birds.
How does a small country like Greece have so many birds, and what are they doing in the center of Athens?
Because of its geographic position, Greece is a destination that many birds stop as they migrate to other countries. Depending on the season (fall, winter, spring, summer), one can even see rare (for the city) birds like the Great Spotted Cuckoo.
Most of Athens's wild birds can be seen flying in small forests, gardens, and hills. Birds can quickly adapt to places. Despite the loudness of the city, they enjoy the small green spaces, the warmth of the city in the winter, and the abundance of places to hide.
Those are the Eurasian Blackbird, the Great tit, the European Robin, The Eurasian Magpie, the Eurasian Jay, the European Goldfinch, the European Greenfinch, the Eurasian sparrowhawk, the Peregrine falcon, the Common kestrel, and the Eurasian scops owl. There are also three parrot permanent resident species: the Rose-ringed parakeet, the Grey-headed parakeet, and the Alexandrine parakeet. These parrot species were not a result of migration; they populated Athens after accidentally people released them to the wild. They are now all over Athens and can be easily spotted hanging around the National Garden.
My favorite bird is the Eurasian Hoopoe; In the summer, I've seen it on the hills of the Acropolis, in the Lycabettus Hill, and in Mt. Parnitha.
P.S. It's really hard to photograph it; the slightest sound will make it fly away.
Places outside of Athens guaranteed to see rare birds in Greece:
Evros Delta National Park
Lake Kerkini
Porto Lagos
Mesolongi
Prespes & Kastoria
Crete
Sources:
E.K.