Cyprus Birding Tours

Offering guided bird watching tours around Cyprus

Tag Archives: Cyprus rarities


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Red-fronted Serin, Limassol 2nd November 2018

Have waited many years to see one of these and was excited today to see the one found by Spyros Spyrou earlier in the week, thanks to directions from Tony Reeves. Great to get this lifer but the bird had no sense of the occasion insisting on posing tantalisingly close to me – always with a few twigs in front 🙄. Anyhow here are the slightly better ones – you can’t have everything it seems!!!

Red-fronted Serin, Limassol 2nd November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-fronted Serin, Limassol 2nd November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-fronted Serin 3, Limassol 2nd November 2018 (1 of 1)

Red-fronted Serin, Limassol 2nd November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-fronted Serin 5, Limassol 2nd November 2018 (1 of 1)

Red-fronted Serin, Limassol 2nd November 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Larnaca area over the weekend, 21st & 22nd April 2018

Unfortunately the best bird I saw over the weekend was not very user friendly – a brief glimpse of a male Namaqua Dove on the track at Petounta for a few seconds before it flew away and was not to be refound – despite a couple of hours search in total over the two days. Anyhow, elsewhere there were Lesser Kestrel and Montagu’s Harrier yesterday at Kivisili where today there were also five Red-footed Falcon (see photos). Calandra Lark were displaying at Pervolia where migrating Yellow Wagtail, Red-throated Pipit, Sand Martin, Red-rumped and Barn Swallow and Common Swift were present. Glossy Ibis and Little Egret were seen migrating along the coast and a couple of European Pied Flycatcher were in the trees at Kiti Dam and Spiros Pool.

Red-footed Falcon, Kivisili 22nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-footed Falcon, Kivisili 22nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-footed Falcon, Kivisili 22nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Red-footed Falcon, Kivisili 22nd April 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Cream-coloured Courser, Akrotiri 24th March 2018

Great feeling as I rounded the corner at Akrotiri today and this Cream-coloured Courser appeared in front of me. I guess its probably the same bird (that I was unable to get to see) that was at Mandria yesterday as it was last seen heading east from there late in the afternoon. This rare passage migrant to Cyprus was spooked by a Pallid Harrier at Akrotiri and flew off and was not relocated.

Cream-coloured Courser, Akrotiri Gravel Pits 24th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cream-coloured Courser, Akrotiri Gravel Pits 24th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cream-coloured Courser 7, Akrotiri Gravel Pits 24th March 2018 (1 of 1)

Cream-coloured Courser, Akrotiri Gravel Pits 24th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Cream-coloured Courser 8, Akrotiri Gravel Pits 24th March 2018 (1 of 1)

Cream-coloured Courser, Akrotiri Gravel Pits 24th March 2018 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Red-tailed Shrike, Larnaca 19th March 2018

Some record shots of the Red-tailed Shrike that I was very surprised to find on the Kiti to Petounta road yesterday morning 19th March 2018. A very scarce passage migrant to Cyprus.

red-tailed Shrike, Kiti area 19th March 2018 (1 of 1)

Red-tailed Shrike, Kiti, 19th March 2018 (Cyprus Birding Tours)

red-tailed Shrike 4, Kiti area 19th March 2018 (1 of 1)

Red-tailed Shrike, Kiti, 19th March 2018 (Cyprus Birding Tours

red-tailed Shrike 3, Kiti area 19th March 2018 (1 of 1)

Red-tailed Shrike, Kiti, 19th March 2018 (Cyprus Birding Tours

red-tailed Shrike 2, Kiti area 19th March 2018 (1 of 1)

Red-tailed Shrike, Kiti, 19th March 2018 (Cyprus Birding Tours


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Review of 2017

Another year draws to a close and as some of you may know Cyprus Birding Tours will not be offering private guided tours during the first six months of 2018 due to my  commitments on other bird related tasks and increased work with UK based tour companies. 2017 was a great year for Cyprus Birding Tours with 56 days of guiding with returning and new birders – thank you all. We saw many great species including the endemic Cyprus Warbler and Cyprus Wheatear and endemic sub-species Scops Owl, Short-toed Treecreeper, Coal Tit and Jay as well as Black Francolin, Chukar, Common Quail, Ruddy Shelduck, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Greater Flamingo, European Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, Pallid Swift, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Spotted, Baillon’s and Little Crake, Scopoli’s Shearwater, Black Stork, Common Little Bittern, Great White Pelican, Greater Sandplover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint, Collared Pratincole, Slender-billed Gull, Audouin’s Gull, Caspian Tern, Whiskered and White-winged Tern, European Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Griffon Vulture, Bonelli’s Eagle, Montagu’s and Pallid Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Pied Kingfisher, Lesser Kestrel, Red-footed and Elenora’s Falcon, Masked and Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Penduline Tit, Bar-tailed Lark, Bimaculated and Calandra Lark, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Eastern Bonelli’s, Subalpine and Ruppell’s Warbler, Barred Warbler, Bluethroat, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Finsch’s Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Red-throated Pipit, Richard’s Pipit, Red Crossbill, Black-headed, Cretzschmar’s and Ortolan Bunting.

A great selection of birds – especially the Bar-tailed Lark which was only the sixth Cyprus record!

I will still have time (I hope) to do some personal birding so this site will act as my Cyprus Birding blog in 2018.

Many thanks to everyone who has supported Cyprus Birding Tours and I wish you all the best in 2018. Hopefully I will bump into many of you making return visits here.

Western Marsh Harrier, Phasouri Reed Beds 13th September 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Bittern, Zakaki Marsh 26th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Baillon’s Crake, Zakaki Marsh 26th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Lesser Kestrel, Anarita Park 20th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Woodchat Shrike, Lady’s Mile 11th April 2017
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Anarita Park 12th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Northern Wheatear, Paphos Sewage Works, 14th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
European Pied Flycatcher, Kiti Dam, 15th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cyprus Wheatear, Arodes, 10th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Germasogeia Dam, 9th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Black-winged Stilt, Lady’s Mile, 7th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Yellow Wagtail, Nata Ford, 5th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Marsh Sandpiper, Nata Ford, 5th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Black-winged Stilt, Timi Beach 5th April 2017 (C) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Owl, Anarita Park, 4th April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Kentish Plover, Larnaca Airport Pools, 3rd April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Crake, Zakaki Marsh 1st April 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Eurasian Griffon Vulture, Archimandrita, 27th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Great White Pelican, Akhna Dam 17th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Pied Kingfisher, Oroklini 17th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Little Crake, Larnaca Salt Lake, 17th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Lesser Kestrel, Anarita Park 10th March 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Slavonian Grebe, Paphos 19th November 2017

Pleased to have caught up with the two Slavonian Grebe that were found offshore by regular birding visitor Alison McArthur at Kouklia, Paphos late last Thursday. Still present Sunday morning although not playing ball for photographs! Two record shots below. Third Cyprus record if accepted.

Slavonian Grebe, Kouklia 19th November 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours


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Bar-tailed Godwit, Larnaca 20th October 2017

Bar-tailed Godwit, Meneou 20th October 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Bar-tailed Godwit, Meneou 20th October 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours

Yesterday I saw a godwit fly from the beach into Larnaca Sewage Works pools and disappear from sight. It was impossible to get good enough views to ID it as the sun was unhelpfully shining into my field of vision. This morning I found this Bar-tailed Godwit on the nearby beach, and I assume it was the same bird as yesterday’s. They are scarce visitors to Cyprus although they seem to becoming more regular. Was able to get a few photos although the sun was yet again in the wrong place!


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Caspian Terns, Larnaca 14th May 2017

Two Caspian Tern flew over Larnaca Sewage Works pools while I was there this morning. They only stayed about five minutes but I was lucky enough to get a few photos.

Caspian Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works 14th May 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Caspian Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works 14th May 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Caspian Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works 14th May 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Caspian Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works 14th May 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours
Caspian Tern, Larnaca Sewage Works 14th May 2017 (c) Cyprus Birding Tours