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Greek birds
Minerva
Owl (Athena noctua)
Size: 22cm
Description: brown with white spots, very small, moves head from side to side
and can turn it around 180degrees
Environment: Forests, trees, even in cities sometimes. Stays all year around.
Eats: mice, small birds, insects
Sound: A little bit eerie or sad "kioo, kioo"
Interesting fact: The symbol of Athena,
wisdom and the city of Athens. The bird on the 1€ coin.
Cuckoo
(Cuculus canorus)
Size: 33cm
Description: Dark gray with yellow, striped belly.
Environment: Various environments during summer.
Eats: insects, hairy larvae
Sound: "koo, koo"
Interesting fact: Zeus turned himself into a cuckoo in order to win Hera.
(Egretta
garzetta)
Size: 56cm
Description: White and yellow, tuft on its head
Environment: Near lagoons. Stays all year around or visits in the winter.
Eats: fish, water-insects
Sound: almost barking
Bee
Eater (Merops apiaster)
Size: 28cm
Description: Colourful brown/green.
Environment: Trees and bushes, open fields. Summerguest (April-October). In
winter it goes south of Sahara.
Eats: flying insects
Sound: "pryyik" or "bryyitt"
Interesting fact: Lives in tunnels which it digs in sandy mountainsides. Originally
tropical bird.
Seagull
(Larus argentatus)
Size: 56cm
Description: Gray wings, white head and body
Environment: Near the sea on rocky islands, hills etc. Either stays all year
or visits in winter.
Eats: fish, meat, bread...
Sound: piercing screams
Eleonora's
Falcon (Falco eleonorae)
Size: 38cm
Description: Dark brown or black brown.
Environment: In colonies along coasts in summer, makes nest towards north so
it can catch birds that fly towards the south. Stays April-September, then goes
to Madagascar. Some stay the winter in Greece, which is unique for Europe.
Eats: small birds, larvae
Interesting fact: Only 1000 left in the world. Named after queen Eleonora who
banned the hunt of this and other birds in the 14th century on Sardinia.
Pilgrim
Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Size: 48cm
Description: Dark or light with yellow brown stripes underneath.
Environment: Mountains, rocks. Stays all year round.
Eats: small birds
Sound: Crying shrilling sound
Sea
Eagle (Haliaetus albicilla)
Size: 90cm
Description: Massive body, old birds have white ends on wings
Environment: Coastal cliffs. Stays all year.
Eats: fish which it catches from the surface with its claws.
(Upupa
epops)
Size: 28cm
Description: Long beak, red-yellow, striped feathers
Environment: Forests in summer. Often close to humans but you rarely see it.
Canary islands in winter.
Eats: insects
Sound: "popopo"
Interesting fact: In 16th-17th century the Swedes thought it called out before
war.
Stork
(Ciconia ciconia)
Size: 1m
Description: White with black edges of wings, bluish underneath.
Environment: Near lakes in summer.
Eats: frogs, mice, mollusks
Sound: hissing sound, claps with its beak
Interesting fact: See myth about Gerana.
Pelican
(Pelecanus onocrotalus)
Size: 1,8m
Description: White with black edges of wings, yellow or pink beak
Environment: Near lakes, lagoons or river deltas.
Eats: small fish
Interesting fact: Once upon a time it was believed it fed its offspring with
its own blood by piercing a hole in its chest.
(Podiceps cristatus)
Size: 48cm
Description: White orange brown back
Environment: Riverdeltas, lakes
Eats: small fish
Interesting fact: Has a reddish beard in the summer.
