Around Agios Georgios,
Arillas and Agios Stefanos

Visitors are often disappointed at the shyness and apparently small numbers of birds in Corfu. Maybe it is a reflection on what is happening in other countries due to changes in agricultural practices but surely the Mediterranean 'hobby' of winter shooting of all sizes and shapes of birds does not help.
However more enthusiastic 'birders' manage to produce huge lists of species seen in unbelievably short times at various places around the island so obviously the birds are there. How these experts can identify so many unusual species in a short time really amazes me! I have difficulty just catching glimpes of a few, and certainly not identifying them.

Corfu is situated on a migration route so the early Spring months are best for observing visiting species and some of those mentioned below may have been migrating birds on stopping off in Agios Georgios.

My observations are limited to a few weeks holiday in either May, June or September so my own experiences are limited. If more visitors will help me this page will hopefully be expanded as I am sure there are many other bird species to be seen.

I am sure that real ornithologists with more time and knowledge could identify many interesting species.

Unfortunately there are no lagoons, extensive marshes or other bird watchers' paradises anywhere near Agios Georgios. Instead there are vast olive groves, small agricultural fields and a few scrubby maquis thickets.

In early season the air around the accommodation is full of wheeling Swallows and House Martins feeding their young high under the eaves with flies they have snatched out of the air or plucked from the surface of the hotel pool, chattering House and Spanish Sparrows, and Spotted Flycatchers who cheekily nest inches from where we sit on the balconies. A pair of noisy Stonechats are busy feeding their newly flown youngsters while a beautifully coloured Grey Wagtail dips its tail around the garden.

The narrow road along the valley bottom towards the village of Dafni sometimes rings to the rich song of the Nightingale and other song birds among the lush shrubs and trees. Robins are common and there are some Blackbirds.

Nightingale

If you didn't hear the song of the Nightingale in the background then switch on your speaker and click your browser's Refresh icon.

Olive groves surround Agios Georgios and can be both rewarding and frustrating for bird lovers. Their open foliage make it difficult to follow the movements of small birds such as warblers, and even more difficult to pick out singing birds. The trees are mostly very tall and old. Brightly coloured Jays and small Collared Doves and Turtle Doves are often seen. Most years spectacular Woodchat Shrikes seemed to be always present in the olive groves and gardens.

Other birds seen recently around Agios Georgios include Black-headed Wagtail and the beautiful Hoopoe and Golden Oriole

A muddy puddle near the centre of Agios Georgios provided this Red-rumped Swallow with mud for its nest. It was one of several spotted gathering mud among a small flock of nervous House Martins.

Red-rumped Swallow

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Corfu is also visited by migrating birds on passage to and from their breeding areas in Spring and Autumn so such visiting species can sometimes be seen.

Other interesting birds identified by visitors are: Red-backed Shrike, Serin, Cettis Warbler, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail and Pied Wagtail, Alpine Swift, Black Cap, Yellow-legged Gull and Bee Eater.

European Bee Eater

An early summer or sringtime walk along the lovely wooded valley to the east and below the village of Pagi might give a sighting of a spectacular Golden Oriole, although only mature male birds have that wonderful contrasting yellow and black plumage, the females and young birds being much greener and duller. Rather secretive shy birds they prefer to stay in the mazy foliage of the high olive trees so the attentive observer's attention may first be attracted by their unmistakable calls. Guests at Theo's Hotel on the Pagi road or walkers on Walk1 should also listen and look out for these distinctive birds in the trees around the hotel especially in Spring when many are passing through..

A guest at Theo's Hotel, Samantha, took a lovely photograph of a Black-crowned Night Heron (commonly called just Night Heron) near the stream in Walk 1. (Many thanks to Samantha for permission to reproduce it here). Compare Samantha's bird with an adult one below.

This Night Heron is a 3 year old adult bird but at that age it is still immature and not in adult plumage. These immature adults migrate to the breeding grounds with the other adults so it was probably on passage to northern Greece (identification and information kindly provided by Steve Dudley from http://www.lesvosbirding.com).

I am luckily able to reproduce here some great opportunist photos of birds taken around Agios Georgios by Brian Smith a regular visitor who kindly had made arrangements for a CD to be given to me.

The web-site owner is not an ornithologist and for all these topics will be pleased to receive comments and contributions from specialists who are acquainted with the area. Please email me if you have definitely identified any interesting bird species in the Agios Georgios, Arillas or Agios Stefanos area.

I have made a list with pictures of some birds which might be seen near Agios Georgios, including some of those already mentioned, and added their Greek and English names. This list is contained on a 4-page PDF file which can be downloaded and printed off for taking on holiday with you. Bird List