Birds of Mt Menalon
The birds of Mt Menalon
Short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
The avifauna of Mt Menalon is typical of the mountainous zone of the Peloponnese. 110 species of birds have been recorded in the wider area, of which 53 are permanent residents of the area and 29 are summer visitors who are considered to breed there. Non-breeding local species have either been observed during migration periods (spring and autumn), or are known to winter in the area.
White wagtail (Motacilla alba)
In general, the number of bird species, although apparently commensurate with the environmental outline of the area and the expected biodiversity of the particular biogeographical zone, is rather small.
In more detail, birds of prey, with 16 species representing the families Accipitridae, Falconidae and Strigidae, are relatively well represented, the Passerines, which reach 78 species, have a moderate diversity, while the non-Passerines, with a total of 16 species, are rather poorly represented, as a result of both the uniformity of the ecosystem and the intense human presence.
Birds of the phrygana and the scrubland
Crested lark (Galerida cristata)
In the zones of the old fields, which gradually turn into scrubland, we will find the typical species of these biotopes, such as the Dunnock (Prunella modularis) and the Crested lark (Galerida cristata).
In the thick bushes we will find all the typical birds of these habitats, such as the Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala), the Common whitethroat (Sylvia communis), the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) and the Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus).
Birds of the Loussios valley
Rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer)
The most interesting bird habitat of the Loussios valley is the cliffs of the canyon, where many Jackdaws (Corvus monedula), Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Rock nuthatches (Sitta neumayer) nest and Crag martins (Ptyonoprogne rupestris) and Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) fly incessantly. On the rocks stands the distinctive Blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius).
Crag martin (Ptyonoprocne rupesrtis)
Along the rivers we will see White-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) and wagtails (White wagtail, Motacilla alba and Gray wagtail, Motacilla cinerea). The widespread Cetti's warbler (Cettia cetti) and the less common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) hide in the dense riparian vegetation.
Birds of the montane forest
Coal tit (Periparus ater)
In the openings of the fir forests we will find all the usual species of the mid-elevation meadows, while lower down we will meet or hear several species of warblers and other small birds of the Mediterranean bush.
In the edges between the dense forest and the clearings we will find the four woodpeckers of the Peloponnese, the unusual White-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos), the widespread Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis), the Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) and the Middle spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius).
Birds of the mountain peaks
Above the small peaks of Mt Menalon, Common buzzards (Buteo buteo), Short-toed snake eagles (Circaetus gallicus), and several Common ravens (Corvus corax) fly around.
Chukar partridge (Alectoris chucar)
Correspondingly, in the stony slopes of the peaks we will see plenty of Northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe), Western black-eared wheatears (Oeanthe hispanica) and Black redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros). In similar open habitats, Chukar partridges (Alectoris chucar) that have been introduced as a game species and have spread throughout the Mt Menalon abound.
Text and photos by T. Adamakopoulos
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