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Overview
Although Rhodes is not well-known as a birding destination it is a very popular tourist island with all the facilities a visitor could need and, lying close to the Turkish coast, it has a good selection of eastern Mediterranean breeding birds and migrants.
Rhodes Town and the surrounding area is heavily developed but this is a large and fertile island with extensive areas of olive groves, vineyards and other cultivated land as well as pinewoods.
Birds
Notable Species
Breeding species include raptors such as Long-legged Buzzard, Eleonora's Falcon and possibly still Lanner Falcon. Other breeders include Chukar Partridge, Alpine Swift and European Bee-eater and passerines include Cretzschmar's Bunting and Red-rumped Swallow.
Audouin's Gull are commonly seen over the sea from Cape Vodi, north of Faliraki, and Cory's Shearwater can be seen on boat-trips from Rhodes.
During autumn large numbers of passerine migrants move through the island including flycatchers, warblers and shrikes.
A small river, the Loutanis, reaches the sea between Faliraki and Lindhos and the river and associated small pools attract a variety of waders on passage as well as Glossy Ibis, egrets and herons. White-tailed Plover has recently been recorded on Rhodes.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Cory's Shearwater, Yelkouan Shearwater, Black-crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Garganey, European Honey Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Eleonora's Falcon, Lanner Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Chukar Partridge, Common Moorhen, Stone Curlew, Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Common Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Audouin's Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Rock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, European Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Little Owl, Eurasian Scops Owl, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Wood Lark, Eurasian Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Northern House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Black-headed Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Common Wren, Common Nightingale, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Eurasian Blackbird, Marsh Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Blue Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Common Jay, Hooded Crow, Northern Raven, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Linnet, Rock Bunting, Cretzschmar's Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Corn Bunting
Other Wildlife
The most famous natural history site on Rhodes is known as "Butterfly Valley" where millions of the colourful Jersey Tiger Moth Euplagia quadripunctaria gather to aestivate in late summer. This narrow gorge with a spring is one of the coolest areas on the island in summer and can be found near Petaloudhes. It is a remarkable sight but it is very popular with tourists. Butterflies common on Rhodes include Swallowtail and Scarce Swallowtail, Cleopatra and Southern Festoon.
The large and spiny Starred Agama Agama stellio and Green Treefrog Hyla arborea are common on the island. Mammals are few but Beech Marten occurs.
Mts Profitis Ilias and Ataviros have pinewoods and maquis and are home to the endemic Rhodes Paeony Paonia rhodia and the striking Cyclamen persicum. The large parasitic Limodorum abortivum, one of many orchid species on Rhodes, grows in the pinewoods.
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
Rhodes is one of the most popular of the Greek islands for tourists, especially for package tours and there are frequent flights from most major European cities.
Lindos is the main tourist area but a wide range of accommodation can be found throughout the island.
Car, moped and cycle hire is widely available, the island has a good bus service and taxis are inexpensive.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
