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Birding in Greece

Birding in Greece

Trip report

A Full Day of Birding on Naxos

A private full day of birding across Naxos in November, from the Alyki lagoon to the slopes of Mount Zas, the highest mountain in the Cyclades: 11 birding sites and 56 species.

Dates
13 Nov 2024
Tour type
Birding, Private
Region
Naxos, Cyclades
Guides
Yiannis Banakakis
Group
Two guests
Species
56
A Kentish Plover resting on a shingle beach
Kentish Plover · © Birding in Greece

Highlights

  • Moustached Warbler, a scarce bird on Naxos
  • Griffon Vultures, the signature bird of Naxos
  • Blue Rock Thrush, Little Owl and Cirl Bunting
  • Flocks of Kentish Plovers on the coast
  • A Hen Harrier and a Peregrine Falcon
  • Song Thrushes, Robins and Meadow Pipits arriving for the winter

The tour

A private, custom day dedicated entirely to birding: two visiting birders and their guide spent the whole day in the field. In one day we covered 11 birding sites and a great variety of habitats, from coastal wetlands like the Alyki lagoon to the farmland plains, pine woodland and the rocky slopes of Mount Zas.

Naxos is the largest island of the Cyclades and one of the greenest, and in late autumn its wetlands and valleys fill with birds arriving for the winter. The day ended with 56 species.

Day by day

  1. 1

    Day 1 · Wed 13 Nov

    From the Alyki lagoon to Mount Zas

    Alyki lagoon, coastal wetlands, the farmland plains, pine woodland, Mount Zas: 11 sites in all

    November may not be the most exciting time of year for birdwatching on the Aegean islands, but Naxos once again proved that there is always something interesting to discover in the field.

    On 13 November 2024, I had the pleasure of guiding two visiting birders on a full-day birdwatching tour around Naxos. We explored 11 different birding hotspots across the island, recording 56 species in total.

    Our itinerary covered a great variety of habitats, from coastal wetlands like Alyki lagoon to agricultural plains, pine woodland and the rocky slopes of Mount Zas – the highest mountain in the Cyclades.

    Among the day's highlights were several of Naxos's signature species, including the impressive Griffon Vulture, the Blue Rock-Thrush, the Little Owl and the Cirl Bunting. We also enjoyed sightings of Kentish Plover and Cetti's Warbler, while a particularly noteworthy observation was the Moustached Warbler, a scarce species on Naxos and certainly one of the day's most interesting records.

Species list

56 species

  1. Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
  2. Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
  3. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
  4. Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
  5. Rock Dove Columba livia
  6. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
  7. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
  8. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
  9. Little Ringed Plover Thinornis dubius
  10. Kentish Plover Anarhynchus alexandrinus
  11. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
  12. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
  13. Dunlin Calidris alpina
  14. Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
  15. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
  16. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
  17. European Shag Gulosus aristotelis
  18. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
  19. Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus
  20. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
  21. Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus
  22. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
  23. Little Owl Athene noctua
  24. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
  25. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
  26. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
  27. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
  28. Northern Raven Corvus corax
  29. Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
  30. Crested Lark Galerida cristata
  31. Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon
  32. Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
  33. Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti
  34. Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
  35. Sardinian Warbler Curruca melanocephala
  36. Goldcrest Regulus regulus
  37. Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
  38. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
  39. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
  40. Common Blackbird Turdus merula
  41. European Robin Erithacus rubecula
  42. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
  43. Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
  44. European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola
  45. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
  46. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
  47. White Wagtail Motacilla alba
  48. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
  49. Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
  50. European Greenfinch Chloris chloris
  51. Common Linnet Linaria cannabina
  52. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
  53. European Serin Serinus serinus
  54. Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra
  55. Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus
  56. Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

English and scientific names follow the IOC World Bird List.

Full report on eBird

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