I’ve been a daily customer to the island of Cyprus for over 25 years, making round a dozen journeys throughout this era, each one looking for birds. Tucked away on the excessive japanese finish of the Mediterranean, Cyprus is regarded politically as a part of Europe, however in terms of birds it’s very a lot Center Jap in flavour, with a variety of species which can be arduous and even inconceivable to search out in Europe, plus a trio of endemics.
I made my most up-to-date go to earlier this month, arriving with my three birding companions, Martin, Mike and Chris, on a heat spring night. It was darkish after we reached our lodging within the hillside village of Pachna, the place we had been greeted by a duet of Scops Owls. In accordance with the taxonomists, these weren’t common Scops Owls (Otus scops) however the endemic Cyprus Scops Owl (Otus cyprius). It is a latest cut up, for once I final visited Cyprus in 2018 the 2 had been thought of conspecific. Like all Scops Owls, although, these birds proved elusive and tough to see. Regardless of listening to them each night time, solely Mike managed a short glimpse.
Laughing Dove: now a typical resident on Cyprus. They prefer to perch on TV aerials
I woke earlier than dawn on my first morning to the comfortable chattering of Swallows not removed from my bed room window. They had been accompanied by the monotonous cooing of the inevitable Collared Doves, and one other chicken that I’d by no means heard in Cyprus earlier than: a Laughing Dove. Anybody who has loved a safari in East Africa will likely be acquainted with the pleasing music of the Laughing Dove, which is the background soundtrack to each day spent within the bush. It was unusual to listen to it right here in Cyprus. First recorded breeding on the island in 2013, this dove is now each widespread and customary. Although it has unfold naturally, Anders Grey from BirdLife Cyprus instructed me that it’s numbers had been boosted by releases of captive-bred birds by hunters. It’s now on the official quarry record on the island. We discovered it nearly in every single place we went, however it’s sometimes an city chicken, and never one you discover far out within the countryside.
Sardinian Warblers are probably the most frequent breeding birds on Cyprus, although they solely bred for the primary time within the Nineteen Eighties
On my first go to to Cyprus, again within the mid 90s, I regarded myself as fortunate to discover a Sardinian Warbler, as this species solely bred on the island for the primary time within the Nineteen Eighties. Now it’s in every single place, for it has change into one of many commonest of Cypriot birds. Sadly this has come at a value, for it has ousted the endemic Cyprus Warbler, which is now a tough chicken to search out. Bodily the 2 are very comparable, however the Cyprus is barely smaller and so is out-competed by the dominant Sardinian. Whenever you come throughout a male Cyprus Warbler there’s no mistaking it, for it’s the one Sylvia warbler with a darkish noticed underside. We checked out quite a few Sardinian Warblers earlier than we lastly discovered our chicken (beneath).
Cyprus Warbler, now a hard-to-find endemic. Notice the noticed underside.
In distinction to the warbler the Cyprus Wheatear is without doubt one of the best birds to search out in spring, for they’re discovered in every single place, from pine woods and vineyards to the center of villages. As soon as thought of a definite race of the extra widespread Pied Wheatear, it’s now thought to be a full species in its personal proper. Regardless of being frequent and comparatively approachable, it’s a kind of birds which can be remarkably tough to {photograph}. The music is very distinctive. The Collins Hen Information describes it as “a collection of comparable cracked hoarse notes, ‘bizz-bizz-bizz-bizz-bizz…’” I couldn’t put it higher myself.
Cyprus Wheatears are the best to search out of the three endemic birds that happen on Cyprus
Black Francolins as soon as bred in Portugal, Spain and Italy, all nations from which this good-looking little recreation chicken has lengthy been misplaced. They nonetheless stay widespread and comparatively frequent on Cyprus, and the male’s far-carrying territorial name is without doubt one of the most attribute sounds of Cyprus in spring. Persistently repeated, it all the time sounds to me like a toy trumpet. Francolins prefer to name from a distinguished perch, reminiscent of a low bush (beneath), but when they suppose they’ve been noticed they shortly disappear from view, to allow them to be frustratingly elusive.
Black Francolins are extra typically heard than seen
After I first visited Cyprus, Spur-winged Lapwings had been uncommon and arduous to search out. At this time they’re a Cypriot success story, for they’ve established themselves at many places, and even breed in the course of roundabouts within the bustling city of Larnaka. It’s not arduous to work out why they’ve been so profitable, for they’re extraordinarily aggressive to something that dares method their nests, chasing of passing Wooden Sandpipers and even Yellow Wagtails with the identical enthusiasm as they do Hooded Crows. They’re noisy birds, and inconceivable to miss.
Now a typical breeding chicken on the island: Spurwinged Lapwing
For a lot of visiting birders, Eleonora’s Falcons are one of many largest attracts. Cyprus holds essentially the most easterly colonies of this good-looking raptor, and they’re most simply seen on Kensington Cliffs, close to Episkopi. The primary birds return from their wintering grounds in Madagascar in mid April, so the birds we noticed had solely simply arrived. They’re very late breeders, as they feed their younger on autumn migrants which they often intercept out to sea. One September I watched a pack of seven Eleonora’s searching a juvenile Swift. Regardless of its pace, the Swift didn’t stand an opportunity, for these falcons are lethal hunters. They continue to be on the island effectively into October, with just a few lingering into November.
Cyprus has essentially the most easterly colonies of Eleonora’s Falcons on this planet
Other than the Kingfisher we don’t have any brightly colored breeding birds in Britain, so it’s all the time a deal with to see birds reminiscent of Bee-eaters, Hoopoes and Rollers (pictured beneath). Rollers are widespread, and a chicken you typically see when driving, sitting on roadside telegraph wires. Hoopoes are frequent breeding birds. Bee-eaters additionally nest, however many of the birds seen on the island are passage migrants. We noticed our first birds on 17 April: numbers of migrating birds peak on the finish of April.
Like Bee-eaters, many of the shrikes are late migrants, although Masked Shrikes are an exception to the late-arrival rule by returning in March. We discovered them simply within the pine woods of the Troodos mountains. These sensible little birds – the smallest and daintiest of the European shrikes – nest on the island. So too do Woodchat Shrikes, whereas Pink-backed are solely occasional breeders. Lesser Gray Shrikes are common migrants, however are seldom seen earlier than the final week of April. We missed them, however there have been loads of different compensations, as I’ll reveal subsequent week.
Masked Shrike: these dainty shrikes are widespread breeders on Cyprus, returning in mid March
