Around Agios Georgios, Arillas and Agios
Stefanos |
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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. |
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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.
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Grey
Wagtail |
Spotted Flycatcher |
Stonechat |
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Another
familiar sight everywhere are pretty Goldfinches often in family groups. |
Goldfinch |
In the valley we often see Buzzards overhead soaring on their broad wings.
In some years a pair of unidentified larger
hawks (or small eagles) can be seen daily hunting over the valley, presumably
from their nest maybe in the high cliffs near the village of Pagi or the tall
trees on the valley sides. Maybe they were Black Kites which other
ornithologists have recorded not far away. |
Buzzard soaring |
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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. |
Woodchat
Shrike |

Jay |
Collared
Dove |
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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.
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Red-rumped Swallow
Short Video
(opens pop-up window) |
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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. |
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Hoopoe |
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Golden
Oriole |
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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 |
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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.. |
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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).
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Night Heron
(immature) |
Night Heron
(adult) |
Click on photographs for larger
images |
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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. |
Bird Gallery with automatic
Slideshow (photos by Brian Smith) |
Bee Eater |
Black-headed Bunting
O |
Blue-headed Wagtail
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Blue Rock
Thrush |
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Collared Flycatcher
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Night Heron |
Hoopoe |
Little Owl |
Red-rumped Swallow
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Sardinian Warbler
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Serin |
Squacco Heron |
Buzzard |
Turtle Dove pair
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Woodchat |
Wryneck |
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Red-footed
Falcon |
Sub-alpine Warbler
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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 |
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Acknowledgement: Many of the illustrations on this page are
from the Royal Society of Birds
birdguide |
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