Common Rosefinch on Mount Grammos: a Possible First Breeding Site in Greece

The Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus) has long been regarded as a rare and accidental visitor in Greece, with just 34 recorded occurrences in the country up to 2022 (HRC, 2016, 2022 & 2023). Until recently, the island of Antikythera was the only location in the country where the species was known to regularly occur during migration.

The nearest known breeding populations to Greece are found in southern Bulgaria, close to the Greek border (Keller et al., 2020). For many years, therefore, the possibility of finding the species breeding in Northern Greece remained a distant dream for the country’s birdwatching community.

That dream may now be one step closer to reality.

In June 2026, while visiting his small, remote village on the slopes of Mount Grammos in Epirus, T. Bougatsias observed and photographed a pair of Common Rosefinches. The discovery quickly sparked excitement throughout the Greek ornithological and birding community.

In the months that followed, the presence of the pair was further confirmed by visiting birdwatchers, several of whom travelled to Mount Grammos in the hope of observing the species.

Although no nest or juveniles have been discovered so far, the repeated presence of a pair in suitable habitat throughout the summer months provides a strong indication of possible breeding in the area.

Should breeding eventually be confirmed in the future, Mount Grammos could become the southernmost known breeding site of the Common Rosefinch in Europe, as well as the first confirmed breeding location for the species in Greece.

The significance of this observation is further highlighted by the declining trend reported for the species across parts of Europe in recent years (PECBMS, 2025), making the possibility of an expansion into new breeding areas even more noteworthy.

Further observations in the following years, and hopefully evidence of successful nesting, will be essential to determine whether the Common Rosefinch is beginning to establish itself as a regular breeding species in Greece.

References

• Hellenic Rarities Committee (2023). Annual Report – 2022.
• Hellenic Rarities Committee (2022). Annual Report – 2021.
• Hellenic Rarities Committee (2016). Annual Report – 2015.
• Keller, V., Herrando, S., Voříšek, P., Franch, M., Kipson, M., Milanesi, P., Martí, D., Anton, M., Klvaňová, A., Kalyakin, M.V., Bauer, H.-G. & Foppen, R.P.B. (2020). European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Bird Census Council & Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
• PECBMS (2025). The State of Europe’s Wild Birds 2025. CSO, Prague, Czech Republic.