The nature of Mt Olympus

Birds of Mt Olympus

Birds of prey

In a large mountainous environment, such as Mt Olympus, one expect to spot the most representative species of the NE Europe birds of prey.
Indeed, among the large eagles, we could spot the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the Short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus), which is a summer visitor - it comes in early March, nests in tall trees of the pine forest and quits the area in September.

Among the forest-dwelling birds of prey, the most commons are the Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and the Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). Accordingly, in the low and medium elevation zone, the most common raptors are the Buzzard (Buteo buteo), the Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and the Honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus). At the same elevation, along the endless precipices of the canyons, nests and hunts the Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), while the Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) and the Red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) appear during summer and migration.

Until 20 years ago, the four european species of vultures lived on Mt Olympus (Griffon vulture - Gyps fulvus, Black vulture - Aegupius monachus, Bearded vulture - Gypaetus barbatus and Egyptian vulture - Neophron percnopterus). All four species unfortunately have disappeared due to the huge decline in mountain livestock farming and the use of poisoned baits. Recently, an adult and some juvenile Bearded vultures have been spotted in the eastern slopes.

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Golden eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	-	✔	✔
Short-toed snake eagle	Circaetus gallicus	✔	✔	✔
Booted eagle	Aquila pennata	✔	✔	✔
Bonelli's eagle	Aquila fasciata	✔	-	✔
Common buzzard	Buteo buteo	✔	-	✔
Long-legged buzzard	Buteo rufinus	✔	-	✔
European honey buzzard	Pernis apivorus	✔	-	-
Eurasian goshawk	Accipiter gentilis	✔	-	✔
Eurasian sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus	✔	-	✔
Levant sparrowhawk	Accipiter brevipes	✔	-	-
Peregrine falcon	Falco peregrinus	✔	-	✔
Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	✔	✔	✔
Lesser kestrel	Falco naumanni	✔	-	-
Eleonora's falcon	Falco eleonorae	✔	-	-
Eurasian hobby	Falco subbuteo	✔	-	✔
Red-footed falcon	Falco vespertinus	✔	-	-
Merlin	Falco columbarius	✔	-	-
Black kite	Milvus migrans	-	✔	✔
Western marsh harrier	Circus aeruginosus	✔	-	-
Hen harrier	Circus cyaneus	✔	-	-
Pallid harrier	Circus macrourus	✔	-	-

Owls

At night the forest reverberate by the piercing cry of the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) and the "scary" call of the Eagle owl (Bubo bubo). Few have heard the melodious repeated call of the Boreal owl (Aegolius funereus), for which Μτ Olympus is the southernmost point of observation. Around the villages, at night, we will hear the Little Owl (Athene noctua) and the Scops owl (Otus scops).

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Boreal owl	Aegolius funereus	✔	-	✔
Eagle owl	Bubo bubo	✔	-	✔
Long-eared owl	Asio otus	✔	-	-
Little Owl	Athene noctua	✔	-	-
Tawny Owl	Strix aluco	✔	-	✔
Scops Owl	Otus scops	✔	-	-

Gulls and terns

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Yellow Legged Gull	Larus michahellis	✔	-	-

Woodpeckers

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Black woodpecker	Dryocopus martius	✔	-	✔
European green woodpecker	Picus viridis	✔	-	✔
Grey-headed woodpecker	Picus canus	✔	-	-
White-backed woodpecker	Dendrocopos leucotos	✔	-	-
Great spotted woodpecker	Dendrocopos major	✔	-	✔
Middle spotted woodpecker	Leiopicus medius	✔	-	✔
Syrian woodpecker	Dendrocopos syriacus	✔	-	-
Lesser spotted woodpecker	Dryobates minor	✔	-	-
Eurasian wryneck	Jynx torquilla	✔	-	-

Corvidae

Flocks of Alpine chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus) and the much rarer Red-billed chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, in can be found in very few mountains of mainland Greece and maintain significant populations only in the mountains of Crete) fly around the high-altitude slopes.

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Raven	Corvus corax	-	✔	✔
Carrion crow	Corvus cornix	✔	-	-
Western jackdaw	Corvus monedula	✔	-	-
Eurasian jay	Garrulus glandarius	✔	-	-
Eurasian magpie	Pica pica	✔	-	-
Red-billed chough	Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax	-	✔	-
Alpine chough	Pyrrhocorax graculus	-	✔	✔
Common starling	Sturnus vulgaris	✔	-	-
Rosy starling	Pastor roseus	✔	-	-

Coraciiformes

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
European roller	Coracias garrulus	✔	-	-
European bee-eater	Merops apiaster	✔	-	-
Eurasian hoopoe	Upupa epops	✔	-	-

Columbiformes

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Eurasian collared dove	Streptopelia decaocto	✔	-	-
European turtle dove	Streptopelia turtur	✔	-	-
Common wood pigeon	Columba palumbus	✔	-	-
Stock dove	Columba oenas	✔	-	-
Rock dove	Columba livia	✔	-	✔

Martins, Swallows and Swifts

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Western house martin	Delichon urbicum	✔	-	-
Barn swallow	Hirundo rustica	✔	-	-
Red-rumped swallow	Cecropis daurica	✔	-	-
Sand martin	Riparia riparia	✔	-	-
Eurasian crag martin	Ptyonoprogne rupestris	✔	-	✔
Alpine swift	Tachymarptis melba	✔	-	✔
Common swift	Apus apus	✔	-	-
Pallid swift	Apus pallidus	✔	-	-

Galliformes

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Chukar partridge	Alectoris chukar	✔	-	-
Rock partridge	Alectoris graeca	✔	-	✔
Eurasian woodcock	Scolopax rusticola	✔	-	-
Common quail	Coturnix coturnix	✔	-	-

Cuckoos

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Common cuckoo	Cuculus canorus	✔	-	-

Finches

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
European goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis	✔	-	-
Eurasian chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs	✔	-	✔
Brambling	Fringilla montifringilla	✔	-	-
White-winged snowfinch	Montifringilla nivalis	-	✔	-
Horned lark	Eremophila alpestris	-	✔	-
Red crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	✔	✔	-
Common linnet	Linaria cannabina	-	✔	✔
European serin	Serinus serinus	✔	-	-
European greenfinch	Chloris chloris	✔	-	-
Eurasian siskin	Spinus spinus	✔	-	-
Hawfinch	Coccothraustes coccothraustes	✔	-	-
Eurasian bullfinch	Pyrrhula pyrrhula	✔	-	-

Thrushes

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Mistle thrush	Turdus viscivorus	✔	-	-
Fieldfare	Turdus pilaris	✔	-	-
Song thrush	Turdus philomelos	✔	-	-
Redwing	Turdus iliacus	✔	-	-
Common blackbird	Turdus merula	✔	-	-
Blue rock thrush	Monticola solitarius	✔	-	✔
Ring ouzel	Turdus torquatus	✔	✔	-
Common rock thrush	Monticola saxatilis	✔	✔	-

Buntings

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Corn bunting	Emberiza calandra	✔	-	-
Rock bunting	Emberiza cia	✔	-	✔
Cirl bunting	Emberiza cirlus	✔	-	✔
Yellowhammer	Emberiza citrinella	✔	-	✔
Cretzschmar's bunting	Emberiza caesia	✔	-	-
Black-headed bunting	Emberiza melanocephala	✔	-	-

Sparrows

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
House sparrow	Passer domesticus	✔	-	-
Eurasian tree sparrow	Passer montanus	✔	-	-
Rock sparrow	Petronia petronia	✔	-	-

Shrikes

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Red backed shrike	Lanius collurio	✔	-	-
Lesser grey shrike	Lanius minor	✔	-	-
Woodchat shrike	Lanius senator	✔	-	-

Wagtail and Pipits

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
White Wagtail	Motacilla alba	✔	-	-
Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea	✔	-	-
Western Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla flava	✔	-	-
Tawny pipit	Anthus campestris	✔	✔	-
Meadow pipit	Anthus pratensis	✔	-	-
Water pipit	Anthus spinoletta	✔	-	-
Tree pipit	Anthus trivialis	✔	-	-

Larks

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Crested lark	Galerida cristata	✔	-	-
Eurasian skylark	Alauda arvensis	✔	✔	-
Woodlark	Lullula arborea	✔	-	-
Calandra lark	Melanocorypha calandra	✔	-	-
Greater short-toed lark	Calandrella brachydactyla	✔	-	-

Warblers

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Olivaceous Warbler	Iduna pallida	✔	-	-
Icterine warbler	Hippolais icterina	✔	-	-

Tits, Creepers and Nuthatchers

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Great tit	Parus major	✔	-	✔
Coal tit	Periparus ater	✔	-	✔
Crested tit	Lophophanes cristatus	✔	-	✔
Long-tailed tit	Aegithalos caudatus	✔	-	-
Eurasian blue tit	Cyanistes caeruleus	✔	-	-
Sombre tit	Poecile lugubris	✔	-	-
Willow tit	Poecile montanus	✔	-	✔
Marsh tit	Poecile palustris	✔	-	-
Wallcreeper	Tichodroma muraria	✔	-	✔
Short-toed treecreeper	Certhia brachydactyla	✔	-	-
Eurasian treecreeper	Certhia familiaris	✔	-	-
Western rock nuthatch	Sitta neumayer	✔	-	-
Eurasian nuthatch	Sitta europaea	✔	-	-
Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	✔	-	-

Typical warblers and goldcrests

Στη χαμηλή βλάστηση κρύβονται οι διάφοροι τσιροβάκοι του μεσογειακού θαμνώνα.

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Eurasian blackcap	Sylvia atricapilla	✔	-	-
Eastern subalpine warbler	Curruca cantillans	✔	-	-
Common whitethroat	Curruca communis	✔	-	-
Lesser Whitethroat	Curruca curruca	✔	-	✔
Rüppell's warbler	Curruca rueppelli	✔	-	-
Sardinian warbler	Curruca melanocephala	✔	-	-
Common firecrest	Regulus ignicapilla	✔	-	✔
Goldcrest	Regulus regulus	✔	-	✔
Cetti's warbler	Cettia cetti	✔	-	-

Prunellidae

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Alpine accentor	Prunella collaris	-	✔	-
Dunnock	Prunella modularis	✔	-	-

Leaf warblers

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Willow warbler	Phylloscopus trochilus	✔	-	-
Wood warbler	Phylloscopus sibilatrix	✔	-	-
Common chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita	✔	-	-
Eastern Bonelli's warbler	Phylloscopus orientalis	✔	-	✔

Nightjars

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
European nightjar	Caprimulgus europaeus	✔	-	-

Flycatchers

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Spotted flycatcher	Muscicapa striata	✔	-	-
Collared flycatcher	Ficedula albicollis	✔	-	-
Semicollared flycatcher	Ficedula semitorquata	✔	-	-
European pied flycatcher	Ficedula hypoleuca	✔	-	-
Red-breasted flycatcher	Ficedula parva	✔	-	-
Black redstart	Phoenicurus ochruros	✔	✔	✔
Common redstart	Phoenicurus phoenicurus	✔	-	-
Northern wheatear	Oenanthe oenanthe	-	✔	✔
Isabelline wheatear	Oenanthe isabellina	✔	-	-
Western black-eared wheatear	Oenanthe melanoleuca	✔	-	-
Whinchat	Saxicola rubetra	✔	-	-
European stonechat	Saxicola rubicola	✔	-	-
European robin	Erithacus rubecula	✔	-	-
Common nightingale	Luscinia megarhynchos	✔	-	-

Dippers

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
White-throated dipper	Cinclus cinclus	✔	-	-

Orioles

English name	Scientific name	Prionia	Alpine	Kazania
Eurasian Golden Oriole	Oriolus Oriolus	✔	-	-

Text & photos by T. Adamakopoulos