Birds of Kefalonia

The nature of Kefalonia

The birds of Kefalonia

Kefalonia habitats: Mt Aenos (1,628m) is the highest mountain on a Western Greece island
Kefalonia habitats
Mt Aenos (1,628m) is the highest mountain on a Western Greece island
Click to enlarge

Thanks to the great variety of habitats, Kefalonia presents an impressive number of bird species, from rare wetland visitors to mountain forest species.

Kefalonia habitats: Mt Agia Dynati (1,131m) forms a mosaic of rocky and stony slopes and hosts several rare bird species
Kefalonia habitats
Mt Agia Dynati (1,131m) forms a mosaic of rocky and stony slopes
and hosts several rare bird species,
such as the Lanner falcon , the Peregrine falcon and the Eagle Owl
Click to enlarge

More than 230 bird species were recorded on and around the island (more than 50% of the Greek bird species). Beside common species of the shrubland (Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Rüppell’s Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler, Red-backed Shrike), of the Mediterannean forest and the coastal areas (Kingfisher, Audouin’s Gull, Cory’s Shearwater, Shag), many other interesting bird species can also been spotted, such as Μontagu’s Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Short-eared Owl and Long-eared Owl.

Kefalonia habitats: Mt Atros (894m) dominates the Tzanata valley
Kefalonia habitats
Mt Atros (894m) dominates the Tzanata valley
Click to enlarge

Best places for birdwatching are the Koutavos lagoon (the large bay of Argostoli), the Livadi Marshes (more than 100 species have been reported from the area and among them several fairly common species, such as the Grey Heron, Little Egret and Black-winged Stilt, but also less common waterfowl like the Glossy Ibis, the Night Heron and the Bittern), the Tzanata Reservoir and the meadows around the lakes of Akoli and Avythos.

Kefalonia habitats: Lake Avythos in one of the karstic lakes of Kefalonia island
Kefalonia habitats
Lake Avythos in one of the karstic lakes of Kefalonia island
Click to enlarge

During Spring and Autumn migration, the best place to be is Cape Mounda (Southeast Kefalonia). Raptors and open terrain species can be spotted on Mt Agia Dynati, while forest species should be seeked of course along Mt Aenos fir woodland.

Birds of pray

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos ✔ ✔ -
Short-toed snake eagle Circaetus gallicus ✔ ✔ -
Osprey Pandion haliaetus - - ✔
Common buzard Buteo buteo ✔ ✔ ✔
Long-legged buzzard Buteo rufinus ✔ - ✔
European honey buzzard Pernis apivorus ✔ ✔ ✔
Eurasian goshawk Accipiter gentilis ✔ - -
Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus ✔ ✔ ✔
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus ✔ ✔ ✔
Lesser kestrel Falco naumanni - ✔ -
Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus ✔ ✔ ✔
Eleonora's falcon Falco eleonorae ✔ ✔ ✔
Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo ✔ ✔ -
Red-footed falcon Falco vespertinus - ✔ -
Lanner falcon Falco biarmicus ✔ - -
Western marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus - ✔ -
Pallid harrier Circus macrourus - ✔ -
Hen harrier Circus cyaneus - - ✔

Owls

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Eagle owl Bubo bubo ✔ - -
Barn owl Tyto alba - ✔ -
Little Owl Athene noctua ✔ ✔ ✔
Scops Owl Otus scops ✔ ✔ ✔

Waterfowl

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Little stint (Calidris minuta)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos - - ✔
Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola - ✔ -
Green sandpiper Tringa ochropus - ✔ -
Marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis - ✔ -
Little stint Calidris minuta - ✔ -
Sanderling Calidris alba - ✔ -
Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea - ✔ -
Eurasian whimbrel Numenius phaeopus - ✔ -
Common snipe Gallinago gallinago - ✔ -

Plovers

English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius - ✔ -
Kentish plover Anarhynchus alexandrinus - ✔ -
European golden plover Pluvialis apricaria - ✔ -
Grey plover Pluvialis squatarola - ✔ -

Herons

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Little egret (Egretta garzetta)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Grey heron Ardea cinerea - ✔ ✔
Great egret Ardea alba - ✔ -
Little egret Egretta garzetta - ✔ ✔
Purple heron Ardea purpurea - ✔ -
Squacco heron Ardeola ralloides - ✔ ✔
Black-crowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax - ✔ ✔
Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis - ✔ -
Little bittern Ixobrychus minutus - ✔ -
Eurasian bittern Botaurus stellaris - ✔ -

Gulls and terns

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
White-winged tern (Chlidonias leucopterus)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan - - ✔
Scopoli's shearwater Calonectris diomedea - ✔ ✔
Yellow Legged Gull Larus michahellis - ✔ ✔
Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus - - ✔
Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans - - ✔
Pallas's gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus - - ✔
Whiskered tern Chlidonias hybrida - ✔ -
White-winged tern Chlidonias leucopterus - ✔ -
Gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica - ✔ -
Sandwich tern Thalasseus sandvicensis - ✔ -
Black headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus - ✔ ✔
Slender-billed gull Chroicocephalus genei - ✔ -
Common tern Sterna hirundo - - ✔
Little tern Sternula albifrons - ✔ -

Cormorants

English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
European shag Gulosus aristotelis - ✔ ✔
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo - ✔ ✔
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus - ✔ -

Storks, flamingos and Ibisses

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
White stork Ciconia ciconia - - ✔
Greater flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus - ✔ -
Glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus - ✔ -

Waterfowl

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos - ✔ ✔
Eurasian teal Anas crecca - ✔ -
Garganey Spatula querquedula - ✔ -
Eurasian wigeon Mareca penelope - - ✔
Northern shoveler Spatula clypeata - ✔ ✔
Ferruginous duck Aythya nyroca - ✔ -
Common shelduck Tadorna tadorna - - ✔
Great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus - ✔ ✔
Black-necked grebe Podiceps nigricollis - - ✔
Little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis - ✔ ✔
Eurasian coot Fulica atra - ✔ -
Common moorhen Gallinula chloropus - ✔ ✔
Water rail Rallus aquaticus - ✔ -
Ruff Calidris pugnax - ✔ -
Pied avocet Recurvirostra avosetta - ✔ -
Black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus - ✔ -
Common redshank Tringa totanus - ✔ -
Common greenshank Tringa nebularia - ✔ -
Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata - ✔ -
Mute swan Cygnus olor - - ✔
Broad-billed sandpiper Limicola falcinellus - ✔ -

Qoodpeckers

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Black woodpecker Dryocopus martius ✔ - -
Eurasian wryneck Jynx torquilla - ✔ -

Corvidae

English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Raven Corvus corax ✔ ✔ ✔
Carrion crow Corvus cornix ✔ ✔ ✔
Western jackdaw Corvus monedula ✔ - ✔
Eurasian jay Garrulus glandarius ✔ ✔ ✔
Eurasian magpie Pica pica - ✔ ✔
Common starling Sturnus vulgaris - - ✔

Coraciiformes

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
European roller Coracias garrulus - - ✔
European bee-eater Merops apiaster ✔ ✔ -
Eurasian hoopoe Upupa epops ✔ ✔ ✔
Kingfisher Alcedo atthis - ✔ -

Columbiformes

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Rock dove (Columba livia)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Eurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto ✔ ✔ ✔
European turtle dove Streptopelia turtur - ✔ ✔
Rock dove Columba livia ✔ ✔ -

Martins, Swallows and Swifts

English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Red-rumped swallow Cecropis daurica ✔ ✔ -
Western house martin Delichon urbicum ✔ ✔ ✔
Barn swallow Hirundo rustica ✔ ✔ ✔
Crag martin Ptyonoprocne rupestris - ✔ ✔
Sand martin Riparia riparia - ✔ ✔
Common swift Apus apus ✔ ✔ -
Alpine swift Tachymarptis melba ✔ ✔ -
Pallid swift Apus pallidus ✔ ✔ ✔

Galliformes

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Rock partridge Alectoris graeca ✔ ✔ -
Chukar partridge Alectoris chukar ✔ ✔ -
Common quail Coturnix coturnix - ✔ -

Cuckoos

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus ✔ ✔ ✔

Finches

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Common linnet (Linaria cannabina)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
European goldfinch Carduelis carduelis ✔ ✔ ✔
Eurasian siskin Carduelis spinus ✔ - ✔
Eurasian chaffinch Fringilla coelebs ✔ ✔ ✔
Common linnet Linaria cannabina ✔ ✔ -
European serin Serinus serinus ✔ ✔ ✔
European greenfinch Chloris chloris ✔ ✔ ✔

Thrushes

English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus ✔ - -
Common blackbird Turdus merula ✔ ✔ ✔
Blue rock thrush Monticola solitarius ✔ ✔ -
Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush Monticola saxatilis ✔ - -

Buntings

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Black-headed bunting (Emberiza melanocephala)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Corn bunting Emberiza calandra ✔ ✔ -
Black-headed bunting Emberiza melanocephala ✔ ✔ -
Cirl bunting Emberiza cirlus ✔ ✔ ✔
Rock bunting Emberiza cia ✔ - -
Cretzschmar's bunting Emberiza caesia ✔ - ✔
Ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana ✔ - -

Sparrows

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
House sparrow Passer domesticus ✔ ✔ ✔
Eurasian tree sparrow Passer montanus - ✔ -
Spanish sparrow Passer hispaniolensis - - ✔
Rock sparrow Petronia petronia ✔ - -

Shrikes

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Woodchat shrike (Lanius senator)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Red backed shrike Lanius collurio ✔ ✔ -
Woodchat shrike Lanius senator ✔ ✔ ✔
Lesser grey shrike Lanius minor - ✔ -

Wagtail and Pipits

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
White Wagtail Motacilla alba - ✔ ✔
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea - ✔ ✔
Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava - ✔ ✔
Tree pipit Anthus trivialis - ✔ -
Red-throated pipit Anthus cervinus - ✔ -
Tawny pipit Anthus campestris ✔ ✔ -
Water pipit Anthus spinoletta - ✔ ✔
Meadow pipit Anthus pratensis - ✔ ✔

Larks

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Calandra lark (Melanocorypha calandra)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Crested lark Galerida cristata ✔ ✔ ✔
Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis - ✔ ✔
Woodlark Lullula arborea ✔ ✔ ✔
Calandra lark Melanocorypha calandra ✔ ✔ ✔

Warblers

Kefalonia topoguide
he birds of Kefalonia
Olive-tree warbler (Hippolais olivetorum)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus - ✔ ✔
Eurasian reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus - ✔ ✔
Moustached warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon - ✔ -
Sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus - ✔ ✔
Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida - ✔ ✔
Icterine warbler Hippolais icterina - ✔ -
Olive-tree warbler Hippolais olivetorum - ✔ -

Tits, Creepers and Nuthatchers

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Western rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Great tit Parus major ✔ ✔ ✔
Coal tit Periparus ater ✔ - ✔
Eurasian blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus ✔ ✔ ✔
Sombre Tit Poecile lugubris - - ✔
Eurasian penduline tit Remiz pendulinus - ✔ ✔
Short-toed treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla ✔ - -
Western rock nuthatch Sitta neumayer ✔ - -
Wren Troglodytes troglodytes ✔ ✔ ✔

Typical warblers and goldcrests

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Eastern Orphean warbler (Curruca crassirostris)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Garden warbler Sylvia borin ✔ ✔ -
Eurasian blackcap Sylvia atricapilla ✔ ✔ ✔
Eastern subalpine warbler Curruca cantillans ✔ ✔ -
Common whitethroat Curruca communis ✔ ✔ -
Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca - ✔ -
Eastern Orphean warbler Curruca crassirostris - ✔ -
Sardinian warbler Curruca melanocephala ✔ ✔ ✔
Cetti's warbler Cettia cetti - ✔ ✔
Savi's warbler Locustella luscinoides - ✔ -
Common firecrest Regulus ignicapilla ✔ - ✔
Goldcrest Regulus regulus ✔ - -
Zitting cisticola Cisticola juncidis - ✔ ✔

Leaf warblers

English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix ✔ ✔ ✔
Willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus ✔ ✔ -
Eastern Bonelli's warbler Phylloscopus bonelli - - ✔

Nightjars

English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
European nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus ✔ ✔ -

Flycatchers

Kefalonia topoguide
The birds of Kefalonia
Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)
English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Spotted flycatcher Muscicapa striata ✔ ✔ ✔
Collared flycatcher Ficedula albicollis ✔ ✔ -
European pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca - ✔ -
Black redstart Phoenicurus ochruros ✔ ✔ ✔
Common redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus ✔ ✔ -
Northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe ✔ ✔ -
Western black-eared wheatear Oenanthe melanoleuca ✔ ✔ ✔
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra ✔ ✔ ✔
European stonechat Saxicola rubicola ✔ ✔ ✔
European robin Erithacus rubecula ✔ ✔ ✔
Common nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos - ✔ ✔
Rufous Bush Robin Cercotrichas galactotes - ✔ -

Orioles

English name
 Scientific name Mt Aenos Livadi marsches Koutavos lagoon
Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus Oriolus ✔ ✔ -

Text: A. Kaltsis
Photos by T. Adamakopoulos

Rare visitors

The following species have been recorded one or a few times during the last two decades.

  • Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
  • Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes)
  • Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)
  • Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
  • Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
  • Mediterranean Gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus)
  • European Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus)
  • Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
  • Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)
  • Eurasian Thick-knee (Burhinus oedicnemus)
  • Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
  • Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
  • Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix)
  • Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
  • Common Wood-Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
  • Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius)
  • Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
  • Semicollared Flycatcher (Ficedula semitorquata)
  • Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
  • Eastern Bonelli's Warbler (Phylloscopus orientalis)

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Photos and descriptions for bird species of Kefalonia are included in the hiking guide Kefalonia topoguide, created by AnaDigit.

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