Alonissos Nature: Birdwatching on Alonissos and the Marine Park area

View towards Peristera

While birdwatching on the Aegean islands might come off as somewhat popular, the Northern Sporades can only be seen as severely overlooked by both Greek and foreign birders and ornithologists. Due to its unique geographic position, this archipelago constitutes a major stopover for migratory avifauna. At the same time, the available habitat types - ranging from different kinds of forests, to shrublands, to agricultural land, to cliffs and gorges and to wetlands - serve as important nesting areas for dozens of scarce or endangered species, offering a great opportunity for one to observe them. To make things even better, the easternmost part of the archipelago makes up the largest marine protected area of Europe, covering numerous uninhabited islands and islets.

A total of approximately 160 bird species have been recorded within the park's borders.

Noteworthy breeding species

• Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae)

• Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

• Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata)

• Short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus)

• Audouin's gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii)

• Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea)

• Levantine shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan)

• Storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus)

• European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)

• European turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur)

• Eastern subalpine warbler (Curruca cantillans)

• Rueppell's Warbler (Curruca rueppelli)

• Blue rock-thrush (Monticola solitarius)

Eleonora's falcon Falco eleonorae

When to visit

Expectedly, the period covering the peak of spring migration (April-May) presents the best opportunity to observe a high number of species, including waders, herons, raptors, passerines and huge flocks of levantine shearwater. Spring is also the time during which scarce or interesting vagrants may appear, such as rollers, ospreys, harriers and blue-cheeked bee-eaters.

Summer can give way fewer species, but being the time in which the island is more accesible, your chances of having a decent birding experience are still high, thanks to the nesting 'gems' of the area. High-profile species of raptors, sea birds, gulls and passerines breed on the rocky outcrops, cliffs, shores and forests of the marine park and the island itself. Hitching one of the boat rides around the islands is highly recommended!

Autumn is also great for raptors and other vagrant species, being almost equal to spring. From late August up to mid October, fall migration is in full force. Last, winter may be quite unhospitable, but dozens of wintering species like thrushes, buntings, finches, larks and raptors are around.