BirdWING News

Please bear with us as we transfer over to this new website and please let us know if you have any problems with it!

BirdWING (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 supporters from all over the world.

The BirdWING site guide, 'Birdwatching in Northern Greece', has detailed information about birds and birdwatching in the region, with up-to-date maps and site info and can be ordered from this website. See the Birdwing Books page. All money raised from the book goes to bird conservation in Greece.

Why not join us?

• it's free
• you will receive regular newsletters about what's happening and what's been seen
• you'll be helping birds in Greece by adding to our 'voice'

New Birdwing Tern Raft at Axios!

After the great success of the raft for Common Terns at Lake Kerkini, a new tern raft has been put in place at the Axios Delta near Thessaloniki. After only a week or so of being in place, birds are already adopting it! Many thanks for your donations which paid for this new raft. Read more in the next newsletter, due out shortly.

    

 

The birds of Northern Greece

There are some fantastic places to come birdwatching in Northern Greece, including the unique Dadia forest and the wetlands of Lake Kerkini and the Evros delta.

If you have never been birdwatching in Northern Greece, consider this: where else in Europe could you see…

• hundreds of White and Dalmatian Pelicans
• thousands of Pygmy Cormorants and Greater Flamingos
• White-tailed, Imperial, Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Golden, Booted and Short-toed Eagles
• Lanner, Saker, Lesser Kestrel, Eleonora’s and Red-footed Falcons
• Black, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures
• Long-legged and Honey Buzzards
• Goshawk and Levant's Sparrowhawk
• four species of shrike breed in Northern Greece, as do eight species of owl. Five species of flycatcher can be found
• nine species of woodpecker are resident and Isabelline Wheatear and Spur-winged Plover are regular breeders
• over 100 000 duck winter on the Evros Delta, often with Lesser White-fronted and Red-breasted Geese
• in Dadia Forest 36 species of raptor have been recorded, and 20 breed
• in 2008 a single eagle roost in Northern Greece held 47 Spotted Eagles and 2 Eastern Imperial Eagles

The future

Many of the sites are under threat. Continued land reclamation, drainage, illegal building, over-grazing and a serious lack of political will towards the environment all continue to have damaging effects. In addition, at certain sites, like the Evros Delta, hunting pressure is intense.

WE NEED TO BRING PRESSURE TO BEAR FOR THEIR PROTECTION NOW!!!

The aims of Birdwing are:

• to raise awareness of issues affecting birds in Northern Greece
• to raise money for direct habitat improvement to help birds whose habitats are at risk
• to build a membership with a collective voice on conservation issues
• If you care, join us today - or make a donation - to help make a difference.