Bird watching is a challenging activity. It challenges the birder to go ahead and explore the nature and its winged inhabitants in ecosystems. The bird watchers feel the urge to learn more resulting in great knowledge enhancement.
Some find it very relaxing. As this activity lets them to be close to the nature, it works as a stress buster for them. Watching the birds doing their chores, eating, flying relaxes the mind to a great extent. It provides a calming effect that is much needed in this competitive world.
Cyprus is one of the main migratory routes from Africa to Northern Europe and Asia and hosts more than 300 different bird species. The best time for bird watching is during autumn and spring, and in the winter.
Cyprus, lies at the east end of the Mediterranean and at a cross-roads for migration, as birds move between Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Russia. The island can boast two endemic species – the Cyprus Warbler and the Cyprus Pied Wheatear.
Suitable weather conditions can produce large falls of birds, and each day brings another wave of bird life – some days hundreds of heaters, other days perhaps pipits, larks, flycatchers or wagtails. The volume and diversity of the migration are impressive enough, but there is always the chance of discovering rare visitors and vagrants.
It is not an expensive hobby to pursue. It does not require any costly equipment or gear. It just requires your love for the sport and the attitude to go ahead with it. You need to buy the right equipment and you are right on track.
Cyprus has a bird list of 369 species. This includes two endemic species, the Cyprus Pied Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca and the Cyprus Warbler Sylvia melanothorax.
In addition there are four endemic subspecies: – Cyprus Scops Owl Otus scops cyprius, Coal Tit Parus ater cypriotes, Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla dorotheae and Jay Garrulus glandarius glaszneri.
In spring most Pallid Harrier sightings occured, particularly males. Breeding raptors include decent numbers of Bonelli`s Eagle.
In autumn, from early September onwards to the end of October, that we get the main raptor movement. Honey Buzzard can be seen in the hundreds around the Akrotiri Peninsular and Black Kite and Steppe Buzzard can also be very numerous. October is the month for Red-footed Falcon, the area around Mandria near the Paphos Airport and Phasouri Reed Beds being well known feeding sites for this species.
Early September the Demoiselle Crane arrive early evening at the Akrotiri Salt Lake and rest there overnight before catching the early thermals the next morning.
In winter Stonechats of every conceivable race, are very common as are Black Redstart.
Some recent sightings in Cyprus:
| August 2009 |
| Alpine Swift 3 Aradippou Dam, Larnaca and 2 Achna Dam |
| Alpine Swift c100 Athalassa Park, Nicosia |
| Baltic Gull Lady’s Mile |
| Baltic Gull Pomos Point (5km offshore) |
| Barred Warbler 10+ juv Agia Napa Sewage Works area |
| Barred Warbler Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Bee-eater 20 Kouklia |
| Black Francolin 3 ( 2 juvs) (Males calling) Cape Andreas |
| Black-winged Stilt 3 Bishop’s Pool |
| Black-winged Stilt 4 Bishop’s Pool |
| Black-winged Stilt Oroklini Marsh and Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Blackcap 1 (male) Agia Napa Sewage Works area |
| Blackcap 1m Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Blue-headed Wagtail c300 Mandria |
| Blue-headed Wagtail c300 Paphos Sewage Works |
| Bonelli’s Eagles 2 Koma tou Gialou |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper Lady’s Mile |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper Oroklini Marsh |
| Cattle Egret 11 Partenitis (Aradippou) Dam |
| Chukar 100 Cape Andreas |
| Citrine Wagtail juv Partenitis (Aradippou) Dam |
| Collared Pratincole 2 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Collared Pratincole Achna Dam |
| Collared Pratincole Polis, Chrysochou Bay |
| Common Redshank 12 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Common Redshank Bishop’s Pool |
| Common Redstart 1 Agia Napa Sewage Works area |
| Common Sandpiper 12 Polis, Chrysochou Bay |
| Common Sandpiper 3 Oroklini Marsh |
| Common Sandpiper 5 Koloni / Yeroskipou Canal |
| Common Sandpiper Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Common Swift c20 Oroklini Marsh |
| Common Whitethroat 2 Cape Greco |
| Common Whitethroat Agia Napa Sewage Works area |
| Common Whitethroat Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Cretzschmar’s Bunting 2 Achna Dam |
| Curlew Sandpiper 3 Lady’s Mile |
| Cyprus Warbler 3 Cape Andreas |
| Cyprus Wheatear 25 Cape Andreas |
| Cyprus Wheater 4 Souni |
| Demoiselle Crane 150-200 Marathounta Hills (heading Akrotiri) |
| Demoiselle Crane 58 Akrotiri Salt Lake (left at 09.50 am) |
| Demoiselle Crane c300 Flew SE over Tala/Marathounta, |
| Demoiselle Crane Peyia, Tsada golfcourse |
| Dunlin 2 Bishop’s Pool |
| Dunlin 4 Lady’s Mile |
| Dunlin Oroklini Marsh |
| Eastern Orphean Warbler 2 Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Eastern Orphean Warbler c10 Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Eastern Orphean Warblers c15 Agia Napa Sewage Works area |
| Eleonora’s Falcon 3 Akrotiri Cat Sanctuary and Mandria |
| Eleonora’s Falcon 3 Souni |
| Eleonora’s Falcon 5 Phinikas |
| Eleonora’s Falcon Kourion |
| Eleonora’s Falcon 4 Phinikas Grey Heron 3 Phinikas |
| European Bee-eater Mandria |
| European Nightjar 3 Alassa, Kourris Dam |
| Ferruginous Duck 1 imm Larnaca Sewage Works and 4 Bishop’s Pool |
| Ferruginous Duck Mavrokolymbos Dam |
| Garganey 2 Oroklini Marsh |
| Garganey 520 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Garganey 55 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Garganey c30 Pomos Point (5km offshore) |
| Garganey c50 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Garganey c80 Polis, Chrysochou Bay |
| Garganey, Shoveler and Mallard Larnaca Sewage Works Pools |
| Glossy Ibis 2 Bishop’s Pool |
| Glossy Ibis 2 Bishop’s Pool |
| Glossy Ibis 30 Polis, Chrysochou Bay |
| Glossy Ibis 400+ in 8 flocks Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Glossy Ibis 98 Polis Chrysochou Bay and 1 Akrotiri Gravel Pits |
| Glossy Ibis c120 Pomos Point |
| Glossy Ibis c150 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Glossy Ibis c50 Pomos Point |
| Golden Oriole 3 Cape Andreas |
| Goldfinch 30 Cape Andreas |
| Great Reed Warbler Partenitis (Aradippou) Dam |
| Greater Flamingo 5 Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Greater Flamingo Larnaca Sewage Works Pools |
| Green Sandpiper 2 Koloni Canal |
| Green Sandpiper 21 Bishop’s Pool |
| Green Sandpiper 4 Koloni / Yeroskipou Canal |
| Green Sandpiper Oroklini Marsh |
| Greenshank 2 Bishop’s Pool |
| Greenshank 5 Bishop’s Pool |
| Greenshank Achna Dam |
| Grey Heron 4 Bishop’s Pool |
| Grey Heron 9 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Grey Heron Lady’s Mile |
| Gull-billed Tern juv Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Gull-billed Tern Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Hobby Achna Dam |
| Hobby Armou |
| Hoopoe Cape Andreas |
| Hoopoe 2 Asprokremmos Dam Car Park area |
| Hoopoe 8 Ayia Napa Football fields |
| Hoopoe Pomos Point (5km offshore) |
| Icterine Warbler 1Agia Napa Sewage Works area |
| Icterine Warbler Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Isabelline Wheatear 4 Cape Andreas |
| Isabelline Wheatear Cape Greco |
| Isabelline Wheatear juv Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Isabelline Wheatear Paphos Lighthouse |
| Kentish Plover 110+ Lady’s Mile, Akrotiri |
| Kentish Plover 115 Lady’s Mile |
| Kingfisher 3 Achna Dam |
| Kingfisher Aspro Pool and 5 Koloni / Yeroskipou Canal |
| Kingfisher Aspro Pools |
| Lesser Grey Shrike 11 Armou and Episkopi area, Paphos |
| Lesser Grey Shrike 2 Aphrodite Hills |
| Lesser Grey Shrike 2 Aphrodite Hills, 1 Anarita and 5 Finikas |
| Lesser Grey Shrike 2 Armou Hills |
| Lesser Grey Shrike 2 Asprokremmos Dam Car Park area |
| Lesser Grey Shrike 2 Cape Greco and 2 Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Lesser Grey Shrike 3 Paphos Sewage Works |
| Lesser Grey Shrike 4 Aspro Pools |
| Lesser Grey Shrike Lady’s Mile and Mandria |
| Lesser Grey Shrike Marathounta Hills, Paphos |
| Lesser Kestrel Lady’s Mile |
| Lesser Whitethroat 10+ Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Lesser Whitethroat 3 Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Little Bittern juv Koloni / Yeroskipou Canal |
| Little Egret 2 Achna Dam |
| Little Egret 2 Bishop’s Pool |
| Little Egret 2 Phinikas |
| Little Egret 3 Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Little Egret 6 Polis Chrysochou Bay, 1 Lady’s Mile and 5 Akrotiri Gravel Pits |
| Little Owl 2 Cape Andreas |
| Little Ringed Plover 6 Bishop’s Pool |
| Little Stint 7 Oroklini Marsh |
| Little Stint 7 Oroklini Marsh |
| Little Stint Oroklini Marsh |
| Little Stint Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Little Tern Meneou Beach |
| Long-eared Owl 2 Athalassa Park, Nicosia |
| Long-legged Buzzard Aspro Pools |
| Long-legged Buzzard Cape Andreas |
| Long-legged Buzzard 2 Armou Hills |
| Long-legged Buzzard Aspro Pools |
| Marsh Sandpiper Achna Dam |
| Marsh Sandpiper Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Masked Shrike 2 Aspro Pools |
| Masked Shrike 3 Souni |
| Masked Shrike 9 Armou and Episkopi area, Paphos |
| Masked Shrike Anarita and Phinikas |
| Masked Shrike Aphrodite Hills |
| Masked Shrike Armou Hills |
| Masked Shrike Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Masked Shrike juv Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Moustached Warbler Cape Greco |
| Mute Swan Larnaca Sewage Works Pools |
| Night Heron 4 Bishop’s Pool |
| Night Heron 9 Strakka, Deftera, Nicosia |
| Nightjar Armou-Tsada track |
| Nightjar Athalassa Park, Nicosia |
| Northern Wheatear 15 Cape Andreas |
| Northern Wheatear 2f Cape Greco |
| Olivaceous Warbler 6 Souni |
| Olivaceous Warbler Cape Greco and 2 Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Oystercatcher Mandria |
| Oystercatcher Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Pallid Swift 2 Partenitis (Aradippou) Dam |
| Peregrine Aphrodite Hills |
| Purple Heron 36 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Red-backed Shrike 2 Cape Greco and 2 Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Red-backed Shrike 3 Armou and Episkopi area, Paphos |
| Red-backed Shrike Lady’s Mile and Mandria |
| Red-crested Pochard 2 F? Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Red-rumped Swallow 2 Cape Greco |
| Red-rumped Swallow 4 Armou and Episkopi area, Paphos |
| Red-rumped Swallow(perched on wires) 150 Cape Andreas |
| Redshank 7 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Redshank Achna Dam |
| Redshank Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Ringed Plover 5 Lady’s Mile |
| RIVER WARBLER Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Robin Athalassa Park, Nicosia |
| Rock Dove 20 Cape Andreas |
| Roller Phinikas |
| Roller (3 juvs) 8 Cape Andreas |
| Roller 2 Armou and Episkopi area, Paphos |
| Ruff 3 Bishop’s Pool |
| Ruff 3 Bishop’s Pool |
| Ruff 4 Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Ruff Achna Dam |
| Ruff Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Rufous Bush Chat Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Sand Martin Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Sanderling Lady’s Mile |
| Sandwich Tern Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Short-toed Lark 8 Paphos Sewage Works |
| Slender-billed Gull 9 Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Spotted Flycatcher Ayia Napa Sewage Works |
| Spotted Flycatcher Cape Greco |
| Spotted Flycatcher Paphos Sewage Works |
| Spur-winged Lapwing 6 Oroklini Marsh |
| Spur-winged Plover 5 Paphos Sewage Works |
| Spur-winged Plover Mandria |
| Spur-winged Plover Oroklini Marsh and Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Squacco Heron 2 Bishop’s Pool, Akrotiri |
| Squacco Heron 6 Pomos Point (5km offshore) |
| Stone Curlew 20 Mandria |
| Temminck’s Stint 2 Oroklini Marsh |
| Temminck’s Stint Lady’s Mile |
| Terek Sandpiper 2 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Turtle Dove 60 Cape Andreas |
| Turtle Dove Oroklini Marsh |
| Whimbrel Coast by Larnaca Airport fence |
| Whimbrel Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Whimbrel Spiro’s Beach, Larnaca |
| Whiskered Tern 1imm Achna Dam |
| Whiskered Tern 2 imm Bishop’s Pool |
| Whiskered Tern 2 Lady’s Mile |
| Whiskered Tern Achna Dam |
| White Pelican 36 Lady’s Mile |
| White Pelican 49 Achna Dam |
| White Pelican c46 Achna Dam |
| White Pelican c50 Larnaca Airport Pools south – left at 9.30 a.m. |
| White Pelicans 50 Agios Dometios, Nicosia |
| White-winged Tern 5 Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Wood Pigeon 10 Cape Andreas |
| Wood Sandpiper 12 Achna Dam |
| Wood Sandpiper 5 Bishop’s Pool |
| Wood Sandpiper Oroklini Marsh |
| Woodchat Shrike 1m Agia Napa Sewage Works area |
| Woodchat Shrike Aphrodite Hills |
| Yelkouan Shearwater Polis Chrysochou Bay |
| Yelkouan Sherwater 2 Pomos Point (5km offshore) |
| Yellow Wagtail (mainly flava) Bishop’s Pool |
| Yellow Wagtail 3 Lady’s Mile and c350 mainly flava Curium Fish Farm |
| Yellow Wagtail 4 Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Yellow-legged Gull c40 Lady’s Mile |
| July 2009 |
| Black-headed Wagtail 2 juvs. Bishop’s Pool |
| Black-winged Stilt 3 Bishop’s Pool |
| Collared Pratincole Akrotiri’s Gravel Pits |
| Common Sandpiper 5 Achna Dam |
| Corn Bunting 118 Achna Dam |
| Curlew Sandpiper 2 Achna Dam and 1 Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Eleonora’s Falcon 14 Kensington Cliffs |
| Eleonora’s Falcon 2 Bishop’s Pool |
| Glossy Ibis 4 Achna Dam |
| Green Sandpiper 8 Achna Dam |
| Greenshank 5 Achna Dam and 3 Bishop’s Pool |
| Griffon Vulture 2 Kensington Cliffs |
| Hobby 1m Coral Bay, Paphos |
| Honey Buzzard Bishop’s Pool |
| Kentish Plover 95 Lady’s Mile |
| Kentish Plover Achna Dam |
| Little Egret 38 Achna Dam |
| Little Ringed Plover 19 Achna Dam and 1 Bishop’s Pool |
| Little Stint 13 Lady’s Mile |
| Little Stint 16 Achna Dam and 4 Bishop’s Pool |
| Long-legged Buzzard 1 Marathounta |
| Long-legged Buzzard Kissonerga, Paphos |
| Marsh Sandpiper Bishop’s Pool |
| Mediterranean Gull 1st year Achna Dam |
| Mute Swan Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Night Heron 3 Bishop’s Pool |
| Peregrine Achna Dam |
| Pintail 7 Bishop’s Pool |
| Ruff Larnaca Sewage Works and Bishop’s Pool |
| Shag 4 Kensington Cliff |
| Slender-billed Gull 4 Larnaca Sewage Works |
| Spur-winged Plover 9 Achna Dam |
| Squacco Heron 3 Bishop’s Pool |
| Whiskered Tern 1 imm. Larnaca Sewage Works |
| White-winged Tern Achna Dam |
| Wood Sandpiper Achna Dam and 6 Bishop’s Pool |
