10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2024

I’ve been a regular visitor to the island of Cyprus for over 25 years, making around a dozen trips during this period, every one in search of birds. According to the taxonomists, these weren’t regular Scops Owls ( Otus scops ) but the endemic Cyprus Scops Owl ( Otus cyprius ). Laughing Dove : now a common resident on Cyprus.

Cyprus 202

Cyprus Breeders Falcons Hunters 202

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2011

All our six endemics have exclusive or partial populations living in forest habitats – exclusive being the Cyprus Jay Garrulus glandarius glazneri , Cyprus Coal Tit Periparus ater cypriotes , Cyprus Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla dorotheae and Cyprus Scops Owl Otus scops cyprius. That’s quite a lot!

Cyprus 157

Cyprus Breeders Protection 2000 157

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2024

This is a Balkan special, and a bird I know well from Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus. I photographed this bird from a public footpath on the Dorset coast, where these rare buntings have recently started breeding again Cirl buntings are late breeders, as they feed their young principally on grasshoppers. A singing Black-headed Bunting.

Bulgaria 168

Bulgaria Greece Breeders Breeding 168