Map of the world

  • Where to watch BIRDS and

  • other wildlife in the world
  • Photograph of Spur-winged Lapwing

    Spur-winged Lapwing by Michael McKee.

  • Where to watch birds and wildlife in
  • GREECE

    Best Birds and other wildlife in Greece

    Birds

    Specialities
    Greater Flamingo, Great White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Pygmy Cormorant, Cinereous (Eurasian/Black) and Griffon Vultures, Spur-winged Lapwing, Masked Shrike, Ruppell’s Warbler, Sombre Tit, Rock Sparrow and Cretzschmar’s Bunting.

    Also a chance of Rock Partridge, Yelkouan Shearwater, Eastern Imperial and White-tailed Eagles, Long-legged Buzzard, Levant Sparrowhawk, (Northern) Nutcracker, Olive-tree Warbler, Wallcreeper, Alpine Accentor and (White-winged) Snowfinch.

    Others
    Black-necked (Eared) Grebe, Little Bittern, (Black-crowned) Night-heron, Purple and Squacco Herons, (Eurasian) Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, White and Black Storks, Egyptian Vulture, Lesser Spotted and Short-toed Eagles, Lesser Kestrel, (Pied) Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Collared Pratincole, Slender-billed Gull, Black, Gull-billed, Whiskered and White-winged (Black) Terns, Alpine and Pallid Swifts, (European) Bee-eater, (European) Roller, (Eurasian) Hoopoe, Black, Grey-headed and Syrian Woodpeckers, Lesser Grey, Red-backed and Woodchat Shrikes, (Eurasian) Golden Oriole, Alpine Chough, Calandra Lark, Red-rumped Swallow, (Eurasian) Crag Martin, (Eurasian) Penduline-tit, Western Rock Nuthatch, Firecrest, Eastern Bonelli’s, Great Reed, Eastern Olivaceous, Eastern Orphean, Sardinian and Eastern Subalpine Warblers, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Blue and Rufous-tailed Rock-thrushes, (Black-headed) Yellow Wagtail, Black-headed and Rock Buntings, and Spanish Sparrow.

    Also a chance of Ruddy Shelduck, Ferruginous Duck, Booted and Golden Eagles, Red-footed Falcon, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Eurasian Eagle-owl, White-backed Woopecker, Shore (Horned) Lark, Isabelline Wheatear and Collared Flycatcher.

    For the latest news on birds see Birdwing, a non-profit organisation from which all income goes directly towards projects to help birds in Greece and to encourage people to protect and appreciate the birds and other wildlife there.

    Mammals
    Natural Greece track Brown Bears in the Pindos Mountains where the chances of seeing them varies from 80% during the summer (May, June and July) to 30% in other months. Souslik is also present in Greece and there is a chance of Alpine Chamois.

    Invertebrates
    A superb diversity and abundance of butterflies, especially on and around Mount Chelmos and Mount Parnassos where it is possible to see over 50 species of butterfly in a day and a hundred in a week.

    Plants
    There are about 6000 plant species, around 15% of which are endemic and the rich flora includes many orchids.

    Best Sites for Birds and other wildlife in Greece

    Best Times for Birds and other wildlife in Greece

    Spring bird migration usually peaks during late April-early May; autumn migration the first half of September. Late June is the peak time for butterflies and mid-July for plants. November is usually a good time to look for Lesser White-fronted Goose.

    Recommended Bird Books etc. for Greece

    Collins Bird Guide by L Svensson et al. Collins, 2010 (Second Edition).

    Birds of Europe by L Jonsson. Helm, 1999.

    Finding Birds in Northern Greece by D Gosney. Easybirder, 2015 (Book and/or DVD).

    Birdwatching in Northern Greece by S Mills. S Mills, 2011 (Second Edition), available from

  • Birdwatching in Northern Greece.

    Mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East by S Aulagnier et al. Helm, 2009.

    Mammals of Britain and Europe by D McDonald and P Barrett. Collins, 2005.

    Collins Butterfly Guide by T Tolman and R Lewington. Collins, 2009 (Third Edition).

    Butterflies of Britain and Europe: A Photographic Guide by H Aarnio et al. A & C Black Publishers, 2009.


    Apps etc.

    Collins Bird Guide.

    Where to watch birds in Europe & Russia by N Wheatley. Helm, 2000.

    Don’t know which country/countries/regions to visit in Europe? Then it may be worth considering taking a look at this book, written by this website’s author. It is many years old of course but it still provides a starting point, an overview and a guiding light to the best birds and the best places to look for them in the region, and could save hours of searching for similar information on the internet. However, it is important to check more up-to-date sources for sites which have been opened up, sites and species which have been discovered, lodges that have been built etc. since the book was published.

    Birding and Wildlife Trip Reports for Greece

    Many trip reports, some for Greece, are posted on the websites listed here. On some of these websites some reports are independent and some are posted by tour companies who organize tours to Greece. These tour companies and others also post their own reports on their websites, which are listed under 'Some Organized Tours to Greece' below.

    Local bird and wildlife guides in Greece

    The costs of organized tours partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ. If you are travelling independently, employing such local guides will greatly increase your chances of seeing the wildlife you wish to see.

  • Greece Bird Tours
  • Greece Bird Tours offers guided birdwatching tours around Athens, since 2003.
  • You may enjoy Rueppell's Warbler, Sombre Tit, Cretzschmar's Bunting and Hoopoes just 30 min from your Athens city hotel.
  • Feel free to read our recent trip reports and testimonials.
  • Proudly received Trip Advisor 2017 Certificate of Excellence
  • Email greecebirdtours@gmail.com
  • Accommodation for birders in Greece

    Some Organized Tours for birds and other wildlife to Greece

    There are many tour companies who organize tours to see mammals, birds, other wildlife and other natural wonders. The cost of these tours vary considerably according to such variables as the airlines used, the number of days the tours last, the number of sites visited, the number of people in the group (an important consideration if you wish to see such wildlife as rainforest mammals and birds), the number of tour leaders, the standard of accommodation and transport, and the percentage profit the company hopes to make. Generally, where the number of days tours last and the number of sites visited are similar, the cheapest tours are those that use the cheapest airlines, accommodation and local transport, that have the largest groups with the least number of leaders, and that make the least amount of profit. The most expensive tours tend to be those which are exceptionally long, use the most expensive accommodation (ridiculously lavish in some cases, even for single nights) and which make the most profit. Some tour costs partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional skills of the local guides they employ.

    While tour companies organize tours with set itineraries many also organize custom tours for individuals and private groups who instead of taking a tour with a set itinerary want to follow their own itinerary to suit their own personal tastes, whether it be mammals, birds, other wildlife, other natural wonders or even man-made attractions, or a mixture of them all. Many organized tours with set itineraries are also fast-paced and target as many species as possible, whether they are mammals, birds or other wildlife or everything, which usually leaves little time to enjoy the best sites and individual species, but on a custom tour those taking part can specify the pace and the sites and species they wish to concentrate on. Custom tours also suit people who like to travel with people they already know, rather than with a group of strangers, and people with partners with different interests. Individuals and small groups will almost certainly have to pay more than the price of an organized tour with a set itinerary but a large group of friends may be able to travel for less than the price quoted for a set tour.

    Tour companies who run organized tours or can arrange custom tours to Greece include the following.