For millions of years birds have inhabited Greece. Fossil bird remains have been traced back as far as the Miocene and extinct ostrich remains, Struthio karatheodoris, have been excavated on Samos. These remains were dated to the Lower Pliocene, approximately five million years ago.

Nowadays Greece, despite not being the largest country in Europe, possesses a rich diversity of bird species. As of 1995 over 400 bird species have been recorded and 300 of these have been recorded in the Aegean Sea. Just under half of these birds are thought to be migratory and therefore only spend a short time on the islands. Despite this they still contribute to the ecosystem. Many of the small islands and islets provide the perfect breeding ground for resident birds and are ideal resting places for migrants due to a low number of natural predators. Some birds, such as the rare Elenora’s Falcon, Falco eleonorae, breed almost exclusively on these rocky islets.

The birds that visit Greece are split into categories depending on the time of year they are here and whether or not they breed here. The categories are generally termed; Breeding Species, Winter Visitors, Passage Migrants, Non-Breeding Visitors and Accidental Visitors. More than half, 58% of species recorded in Greece have permanent breeding populations there, be they resident or summer visitors. There have been 55 winter visitors recorded and the majority of these are non-passerine, for example populations of the Great Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, in the Aegean increase over winter as individuals migrate there for winter.

Passage migrants, non-breeding visitors and accidental visitors make up a relatively small number of the birds found within the country. Many passage migrants stop on the Aegean islands on the way to North Africa and back again. This is due to their close proximity to each other and abundant food resources in Spring and Autumn.

Birds play an important role in island ecosystems and are a good natural indicator of healthy environments. However many are threatened due to habitat loss, reduction of food resources and persecution by humans.
 

A lot of the important bird fauna that can be found on the Aegean islands are either water birds or birds of prey. Birds that live in, or rely upon large bodies of water are collectively called water birds. These can vary from long legged wading birds of the Order Ciconiiformes to medium and large water birds of the Order Pelecaniformes.

The category ‘Birds of Prey’ is a very large family that could comprise any bird that hunts other organisms for food. However it is generally limited to two Orders, Falconiformes, eagles and falcons, and Strigiformes, the owls. Birds from these Orders live in a variety of habitats but most can either be found in wooded areas for roosting or deep valleys for hunting.

Below are mentioned some of the, scientifically, most important birds to the Aegean islands of Ikaria and Samos.

Egretta garzetta – Little Egret
The Little Egret is a slim bird measuring 55 to 65 cm from bill to tail tip, with a wingspan of 88 to 95 cm. It is white, with a black bill, black legs, and bright yellow toes. During courtship and the breeding season, which happens in spring, individuals change their appearance in order to attract a partner. The lore, space between the eye and bill, turns yellow-reddish, delicate plumes are formed by two elongated nape feathers, and long scapular feathers form a cloak. At other times of the year, the lore is a blue-green or blue-grey colour and there are no plumes. Young birds have grey lores, pinkish lower mandibles, and brown-green legs.

They can be found in freshwater, brackish, or saline wetlands. Egretta garzetta has a preference for shallow wetlands in open sites where fish are close to the surface. Its diet consists of small fish less than 10 cm long as well as small shore-dwelling animals such as frogs, worms, snails, crustaceans, spiders and insects such as dragonfly larvae and crickets.

Himantopus himantopus – Black-winged Stilt
The Black-winged Stilt has a black needle-like bill and unmistakeable long, dark-pink legs. It has a black back, black wings and white under-parts, the head changes colour depending on the season. It is greyish white in winter and then it has variable grey or black markings in the summer. Sexual dimorphism is low with the male only being slightly larger than the female and having a marginally glossier green mantle.

Himantopus himantopus can be recognised by the distinctive nasal, slightly bleating and tinny ring of its call. This sound can be heard across the saltwater and freshwater wetlands that they occupy. They feed upon larval aquatic insects and other small aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans and molluscs as well as the polychaete worm, Arenicola marina.

Ixobrychus minutus – Little Bittern
The Little Bittern is a very small heron, measuring 33 to 38 cm long with a wingspan of 49 to 58 cm. An adult male has a black crown and black upper-parts, this colouring changes to brown in the female. The juvenile is similar to the female but with streaks in its plumage. Both male and female have creamy wing patches that contrast sharply with their dark wings in flight.

The Little Bittern is a shy bird that inhabits wetlands with dense reeds and vegetation. It may be seen occasionally at dusk when it feeds on invertebrates and insect larvae, such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles and spiders. It will also take fish, frogs, tadpoles, small reptiles and birds when available. The Little Bittern is very dependent on its wetland habitat; in Greece, when the rains are scarce in autumn, passage migrant Little Bitterns have been found in unsuitable habitats such as olive groves. Often these individuals are found in poor conditions, starved and dehydrated.

Athene noctua – Little Owl
The Little Owl is a short, stocky bird; around 22 cm in height with an average wingspan of 53 cm. It has a broad head, a dark crown with small dark spots, and large, pale yellow eyes with black circles. Its body is mainly brown with cream coloured spots and there are complex wavy streaks on its pale underside. Athene noctua is most likely to be seen at dusk where it is instantly recognisable. It will be seen as a round silhouette sitting on a post or a branch searching for prey.

The flight of this bird is a distinctive, undulating action, which demonstrates bursts of quick wing beats and downwards swoops. It can be seen in a variety of habitats from open rocky slopes to farmland, and parkland with old trees and outbuildings. This species will eat a variety of different animals including invertebrates, small mammals, reptiles and other birds.

Falco eleonorae – Eleonora’s Falcon
Falco eleonorae is a medium-sized, long-tailed, sharp-winged falcon found within the Mediterranean region. This bird can reach heights of 42 cm and has a wing span which averages at 95 cm. The species has two colour morphs; one form is completely dark whereas the other has a white colour and dark moustache. The under-wing of this bird is also two-toned being darker in the front. Juvenile birds are plain with paler cheeks.

Falco eleonorae is commonly found nesting on undisturbed, rocky areas, such as cliff faces. Breeding occurs late into the year around late July to early August. During the nesting time it is usually the males job to hunt whereas the female incubates the egg. They feed primarily on insects, however, during the breeding season they turn their attention to small migrating birds. Falco eleonorae has a large global distribution and according to the IUCN it has not been fully recorded. European population estimates are at 12,000 and it is thought that 65% of breeding pairs (56 colonies) reside in the Aegean.

Hieraaetus fasciatus – Bonelli's eagle
The Bonelli’s Eagle is a medium to large sized bird of prey which measures approximately 60 cm long with a 155 cm wingspan. Hieraaetus fasciatus has a dark back with a white streaked underside. The streaks continue down to its narrow, straight-edged tail. Juveniles of this species are pale orange. The flight of this species involves shallow wing beats with a high soaring pattern.

This eagle can be seen soaring high over mountainous regions, as well as river deltas, plains and wetlands, often in pairs, in search of prey. Due to its size it can take larger mammals such as rabbits and hares as well as partridges and pigeons. It has a thin distribution over the Aegean islands, possibly only 50 pairs in Greece; however across Europe as a whole it has a good population.
 

Humans have had a huge impact on the land around the Aegean and Greece for the last few thousand years. Forests have been destroyed for fire wood and this has lead to a loss of soil and vegetation leaving the landscape permanently changed. In recent times it is not only the destruction of habitat that is destroying bird population numbers but the introduction of pesticides from commercial farming and the general pollution of areas. There is also a large problem with the illegal hunting and shooting of birds, be they rare or common.

Habitat Destruction
Tourist, and indeed any, development is increasingly encroaching on suitable nesting sites for many bird species. The drainage of vast areas of wetland for agriculture is a large problem on main land Greece. For example before 1930 it was estimated that Macedonia had 157,200 ha of wetlands, of this 73.2% has disappeared entirely due to draining. These wetlands are an important resting place for migrating birds, without which many do not survive the journey across Europe and Africa. Within the Aegean islands the pumping of freshwater systems for irrigation is leading to large fluctuations in water levels which reliant birds are unable to cope with.

The clearance of land for agriculture and tourism destroys many habitats that are vital to birds. For example in Ikaria most of the ancient oak forests have been cleared and, over time, they have been replaced with pine forests. These forests are a less suitable habitat for many species, such as the Little Owl, which prefers old oak trees to nest in. Land which has been cleared is also vulnerable to fire as low lying vegetation will predominate. Fires can devastate an area and populations of ground dwelling birds, which rely on low lying scrubland, can be destroyed.

Pesticides
Pesticides and herbicides are commonly used throughout Greece. The pesticides are sprayed on crops in order to prevent pests, such as the Olive-fruit fly, Dacus oleae, insects, microbes and bacteria, from eating and damaging the crops. Herbicides are sprayed to intentionally kill long grasses (particularly in olive groves), so the farmers do not have to mow the grass down. There is an overuse of these harmful chemicals, and the damage is visible. Large areas of olive groves have no ground vegetation and there is a lack of any invertebrates. The average annual use of pesticides, of all types, in Greece was 15,112 tonnes between then years of 1987 and 1989.

The addition of these toxic chemical compounds into their habitat can be detrimental to bird species for a number of reasons. The first cause of concern is the toxicity effect, either through direct or indirect methods. A direct method of toxicity would involve birds being present on the farmland that is being sprayed with crops. Pesticides and herbicides contain endocrine-disrupting substances, which effect reproduction and hormones within animals. This may limit the chance of reproduction for further generations, or in extreme cases, it will actually kill the individual itself. An indirect method would be the ingestion of insects that have been present when crops have been sprayed. This could lead to a build of harmful substances, such as mercury, DDE (a broken down form of DDT) and PCB, within the bird, and thus lead to detrimental effects.

Illegal Hunting
The illegal hunting of migratory and resident birds is a big problem within the Ionian and Aegean islands. Hunters pay little heed into those species which are protected and vital to the ecosystem and simply shoot what they believe to be ‘trophy birds’. The 79/409 EEC Birds Directive led to parameters being set up to prevent the hunting of a significant number of species. Despite this many birds still get shot, such as the Golden Orioles, Oriolus oriolus, because many people ignore or refuse to accept the limitations on species they have been hunting all their lives. Data from the Hellenic Wildlife Hospital, an NGO dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of wild animals, says that roughly 60 to 70% of the birds they treat are wounded or killed by hunting.

Hunting is a huge problem within the Ionian island of Zakynthos and many hunters ignore the legislations telling them where they can and cannot hunt. Thus even inside protected areas hunting still continues.
 

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