# Bird wildlife in Greece



## despoinaki

Hello guys! Some people have amazing hobbies! I recently discovered on Facebook the page "Photographers without borders" 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/127043357475996/405000273013635/?notif_t=group_comment_reply
and I saw magnificent pictures of sceneries and of course, birds!  
One of the members of this group page, Thomas Nikolopoulos takes wonderful pictures of wild birds and I asked him if I could post some of his pictures. He gave me his permission so now you can all see pictures of wild birds living - and flying- in Greece. 
So this is a European Robin (Erithacus Rubecula)

This is a long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus)
This is a Dunnock (Prunella Modularis)

This is a Song-thrush (Aegithalos caudatus)

This is a Rock-bunting (Emberiza cia)


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## despoinaki

That's a Linnet (Carduelis Cannabina)

This is a Gadwall (Anas strepera) I really like this duck 

That bird is a Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

This is a Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)

A European Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

And a Songthrush (Turdus philomelos)

A big thank you to Thomas Nikolopoulos! Hope you enjoyed it! :ciao:


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## SamanthaJ

Those are beautiful birds. It's hard to get pictures of birds as they never keep still long enough!
Thank you for sharing.

Samantha


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## dsavino

Wow!! What beautiful birds! I think my favorite is the song-thrush. Thank you for sharing!


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## despoinaki

They are gorgeous!And I admire these people who wait patiently to take a good picture!I've tried it myself in the past,with no success!


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## Kate C

They are wonderful pictures Despina.

The Kestrel is magnificent, and I love the duck. I have a big soft spot for ducks as we bred ducks when I was little. We had them for egg production. They are really quite smart. The Buzzard is great too. There are some Black Breasted Buzzards at a bird park near me and I have been having a love affair with one for years. They are an Australian species. They are one of our largest birds of prey. You may like to see him, here is the link to him.

Raptors | Featherdale Wildlife Park - Sydney Australia


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## eduardo

*Wow, thanks Despina for posting these pictures! They are awesome  I especially love the Kestrel, such colors :wow:*


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## despoinaki

Kate C said:


> They are wonderful pictures Despina.
> 
> The Kestrel is magnificent, and I love the duck. I have a big soft spot for ducks as we bred ducks when I was little. We had them for egg production. They are really quite smart. The Buzzard is great too. There are some Black Breasted Buzzards at a bird park near me and I have been having a love affair with one for years. They are an Australian species. They are one of our largest birds of prey. You may like to see him, here is the link to him.
> 
> Raptors | Featherdale Wildlife Park - Sydney Australia


Hey Kate! I love all birds- big or small- but the Kestrel's colours surprised me! I like the Buzzards, hawks and eagles it's always great when I see them fly in the skies!  I also loved the picture in that link- I can see why you love them so much! 
And ducks are the cutest birdies!


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## despoinaki

eduardo said:


> *Wow, thanks Despina for posting these pictures! They are awesome  I especially love the Kestrel, such colors :wow:*


You're welcome Dee! I love the Kestrel too, isn't this guy unique?


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## Peetysmom

oh nice pictures and that song thrush is such a cutie patootie!


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## despoinaki

Peetysmom said:


> oh nice pictures and that song thrush is such a cutie patootie!


Thank you Cindy! In this site you can hear him too 
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) :: xeno-canto


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## aluz

Thanks for sharing these awesome pics, Despina! 
I'm very familiar with that robin in the first photo, we have plenty of them here in Portugal too.


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## Peetysmom

Oh pretty song! I played the link and my Peety really is enjoying listening to them singing.


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## Jonah

Great pics....thank's for sharing them Despina....


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## reenzz

The photos are gorgeous!


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## Mikey Did It

*That little song thrush is adorable!!!*

My favorite is the little song thrush! Isn't he just the cutest, little thing with his stubby little beak and fluffy round body? I want him!!!

Thanks for sharing -- the Buteo looks very similar to our red-tailed hawk over here. The birds we call 'buzzards' aren't nearly as pretty as your 'buzzard' is. They are more similar to vultures - with naked, heads. Still, they have their 'charm', I suppose...


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## catalinadee

Beautiful birds and photographs. As a kestrel owner I think I'm biased but I would say that was my favourite photo


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## Budgiekeet

Beautiful pictures Despina. Thank you and to Thomas for allowing you to share them with us .


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## Jedikeet

Very beautiful photos of such exotic birds.:thumbsup:


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## Kate C

What is amazing about our Buzzard (don't know if yours do it too) but they use tools. They will pick up a rock and drop it on Emu eggs to break them open and eat them. You can see him doing it in the picture but with just normal chicken eggs. One of the few birds that use a tool.


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## FaeryBee

*Wonderful pictures!!
Please let Thomas know that all of us at Talk Budgies really appreciate his kindness in allowing you to share them with us. :hug:*


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## despoinaki

aluz said:


> Thanks for sharing these awesome pics, Despina!
> I'm very familiar with that robin in the first photo, we have plenty of them here in Portugal too.


You're welcome Ana! This is Europe, right?  I am glad you see them there too! The robins are very cute! During winter time, they are everywhere here! I love their song too!


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## despoinaki

Peetysmom said:


> Oh pretty song! I played the link and my Peety really is enjoying listening to them singing.


I love it too! I've seen one in the wild singing and then I saw their latin name- Philomelos means "the man who loves singing" in ancient greek 



Jonah said:


> Great pics....thank's for sharing them Despina....


I am glad you enjoyed Thoma's photos Randy!  I had to share them!



reenzz said:


> The photos are gorgeous!


Aren't they great? I wonder how difficult this is! I am glad you like them!



Mikey Did It said:


> My favorite is the little song thrush! Isn't he just the cutest, little thing with his stubby little beak and fluffy round body? I want him!!!
> 
> Thanks for sharing -- the Buteo looks very similar to our red-tailed hawk over here. The birds we call 'buzzards' aren't nearly as pretty as your 'buzzard' is. They are more similar to vultures - with naked, heads. Still, they have their 'charm', I suppose...


Thanks Nedra! I've seen Songthrushes in my back yard!  They jump on the ground and they move their tail up and down! They are funny- but wonderful singers! Haha- every bird has its own charm- even craws! 



catalinadee said:


> Beautiful birds and photographs. As a kestrel owner I think I'm biased but I would say that was my favourite photo


Wow!!! You're a kestrel owner? They are magnificent! Perhaps you could share a foto of you and your kestrel here? Please! 



Budgiekeet said:


> Beautiful pictures Despina. Thank you and to Thomas for allowing you to share them with us .


Thanks Rick! Thomas takes amazing pics and I am glad you liked it! 



Jedikeet said:


> Very beautiful photos of such exotic birds.:thumbsup:


Glad you liked Thoma's photos Nick!



Kate C said:


> What is amazing about our Buzzard (don't know if yours do it too) but they use tools. They will pick up a rock and drop it on Emu eggs to break them open and eat them. You can see him doing it in the picture but with just normal chicken eggs. One of the few birds that use a tool.


I noticed in the picture that he was doing something but when you told me that, then I understood what was going on there! They are brilliant! I didn't know about our Buzzards here but then I asked my mum. She told me that our Buzzards when they eat meat and there are a lot of big bones- or when they find bones- they want to eat the bone marrow. They hold it with their feet, fly high , locate a big rock and they leave it. The bone crashes and then they eat their delicacy. This is not exactly using a tool, that's very smart to think!


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## despoinaki

FaeryBee said:


> *Wonderful pictures!!
> Please let Thomas know that all of us at Talk Budgies really appreciate his kindness in allowing you to share them with us. :hug:*


I am glad you like them Miss Faery Bee! I'll let him know- if he allows it in the future, then I'll post more!


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## Kate C

That is still classified as using a tool Despina. Our Palm Cockatoo here in Australia will hold a stick in his beak and bang it against a hollow tree, they still don't know the reason for the drumming. It may be to attract a mate or to show their territory. You may be interested to read this article about them. They are a really amazing bird.

The drumming parrot - ScienceWise - ANU


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## despoinaki

Kate C said:


> That is still classified as using a tool Despina. Our Palm Cockatoo here in Australia will hold a stick in his beak and bang it against a hollow tree, they still don't know the reason for the drumming. It may be to attract a mate or to show their territory. You may be interested to read this article about them. They are a really amazing bird.
> 
> The drumming parrot - ScienceWise - ANU



This photo is for you Kate!  I took this picture some time ago, in a big park outside Thessaloniki. Geese and ducks all over! 
I really love it when animals are using tools, this proves how intelligent they are and how much they try to find sollutions about certain things. I'll read the article tommorrow (I need some time to understand it) and I'll come back!


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## Bethanyi

*These pictures are amazing!!  I love birds! We had a robin at work once that flew to us all the time to be fed  we called him bobbin the robin

I also looked after the prince of Dubai's falcon once!! Amazing birds*


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## PrincipePio

So cool! Thank you for sharing


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## Kate C

Thank you Despina. I recognize the Mallards. Are some of them Eider Ducks? I don't think they are any species that we get down here. We do get Mallards though.


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## Mikey Did It

Crows are also amazing tool users and even able to 'fashion' tools out of wire to pick up things they cant reach with their beaks. There's are wonderful videos if you just search "Crows Using Tools". I'll post something on a new thread, so I don't hi-jack Despina's wonderful photo thread.


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## despoinaki

Kate C said:


> Thank you Despina. I recognize the Mallards. Are some of them Eider Ducks? I don't think they are any species that we get down here. We do get Mallards though.


Yes, I've noticed some of them are female Eider ducks, Mallards and a small species of Muscovy ducks (The one that has red skin around the eyes). I've read the article- I am sure this is a kind of mating attraction! I guess the females pick their mates depending of the sound they make in the trees


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## despoinaki

Bethanyi said:


> *These pictures are amazing!!  I love birds! We had a robin at work once that flew to us all the time to be fed  we called him bobbin the robin
> 
> I also looked after the prince of Dubai's falcon once!! Amazing birds*


This is so funny! Did that robin really come when he was hungry?  I bet that falcon was beautiful!! Did you feed the bird and use commands? how great is that? 



PrincipePio said:


> So cool! Thank you for sharing


Thanks for watching Bethany! 



Mikey Did It said:


> Crows are also amazing tool users and even able to 'fashion' tools out of wire to pick up things they cant reach with their beaks. There's are wonderful videos if you just search "Crows Using Tools". I'll post something on a new thread, so I don't hi-jack Despina's wonderful photo thread.


You're not hi-jacking it Nedra, I wouldn't know all this stuff if you and Kate wouldn't write about birds using tools!  But I love this, I guess I'll wait for your thread!


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## Kate C

I hate it when I get brain fog. I knew I recognized the Muscovy ducks but just couldn't think of the name. Should know them as they are one of the species that we kept. Those and Khaki Campbell's.


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## despoinaki

For those who want to see more.. 
This is a Common Kingfisher (alcedo atthis)

Another Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

A Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)

This is a European green woodpecker (Picus viridis)

A European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

A Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

A Slender-billed gull (Larus genei)

And my favourite, Little owl (Athene noctua)


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## Kate C

More great pictures Despina.

The Eurasian Eider has a beak like our Kookaburra and other Kingfishers. But ours are not as colourful.


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## despoinaki

Kate C said:


> I hate it when I get brain fog. I knew I recognized the Muscovy ducks but just couldn't think of the name. Should know them as they are one of the species that we kept. Those and Khaki Campbell's.


 I get these brain fogs too! It's a common expression here- it's like the word is on our lips and it can't get out"  Khaki Campbells are so beautiful!  But I love all ducks and geese! The only thing with geese is that they get angry easily


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## aluz

despoinaki said:


> For those who want to see more..
> This is a Eurasian Eider (alcedo atthis)
> 
> 
> This species is my absolute favourite, we have them here too!! I love the striking colours.
> We call them "Guarda-Rios" roughly translated it means, keeper of rivers. And this really is a type of kingfisher.
> 
> I'm quite familiar with the European Goldfinches as well, I have fostered many of them and even had my canaries incubate the eggs from abandoned nests. They sing beautifully!


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## Bethanyi

*



This is so funny! Did that robin really come when he was hungry? I bet that falcon was beautiful!! Did you feed the bird and use commands? how great is that?

Click to expand...

Yeh he would wiz right up into your face until we gave him some mil worms! 
The pictures of the falcon are on my laptop that broke  so once I can somehow transfer over the memory ill show you  He was ingured and so we were looking after him until he mended and then he went back onto a plane over there
but he started to snuggle up to me at one point *


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## despoinaki

aluz said:


> despoinaki said:
> 
> 
> 
> For those who want to see more..
> This is a Eurasian Eider (alcedo atthis)
> 
> 
> This species is my absolute favourite, we have them here too!! I love the striking colours.
> We call them "Guarda-Rios" roughly translated it means, keeper of rivers. And this really is a type of kingfisher.
> 
> I'm quite familiar with the European Goldfinches as well, I have fostered many of them and even had my canaries incubate the eggs from abandoned nests. They sing beautifully!
> 
> 
> 
> Kingfishers are really unique!  I love them too! We call them "Αλκυόνη"- Alcyone because of the myth of Alcyone- where Zeus turned her into a bird.  European Goldfinches are the most cute- I love their colours, their singing and they are really tiny!  Aww.. did you fostered some of them? How awesome!!
Click to expand...


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## Kate C

But Geese make wonderful watchdogs and guard dogs. Many farms over here use them for this purpose.

European Gold Finches are very popular here too. They also breed them with Canaries to get great whistlers.


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## aluz

Kate C said:


> But Geese make wonderful watchdogs and guard dogs. Many farms over here use them for this purpose.
> 
> European Gold Finches are very popular here too. They also breed them with Canaries to get great whistlers.


That's very true, I have never cross bred them (chose not to do so) but they do get along very well with the canaries and it's great that they so willingly accept the goldfinch eggs and do such an amazing job raising both their young and the foster chicks.


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## despoinaki

Our breeder has a lot of canaries and finches and he cross-bred many times goldfinches and canaries.The birds that occur are hybrids,right? Can they be bred?


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## nuxi

Hi Despina,
Thanks for posting all those beautiful photos!:hug: We have robins in Germany too.


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## Kate C

Yes they are hybrids Despina and no they cannot breed they are called mules.


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## despoinaki

Kate C said:


> Yes they are hybrids Despina and no they cannot breed they are called mules.


Mules like the actual mule that occurs between a horse and a donkey? That's very interesting! But it is a little unfair..


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## Kate C

Yes just like a horse and a donkey cross. They call birds that can't breed mules as well.


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## aluz

And this is exactly why I have never cross bred them and won't do it when I know the offspring is robbed of the ability to procreate.


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## despoinaki

I totally agree with you Ana!Some things in nature are better not to be disturbed!


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## Birdmanca

I liked your pictures of birds of the world. I liked the kestrel and especially the buzzard of the foreign counties. Actually liked all the birds, but I sort of like to observe raptors.


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## despoinaki

Birdmanca said:


> I liked your pictures of birds of the world. I liked the kestrel and especially the buzzard of the foreign counties. Actually liked all the birds, but I sort of like to observe raptors.


Thank you! These birds live in Greece and I love to observe them too


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