Hummingbird in Greece (2 Viewers)

[dramih]

My wife and me saw hummingbird on September 11 2018 on Megali Ammos beach, Syvota, Thesprotia, Epirus, Greece, on the northern part of the beach flying over jardineries with flower of Thalassa restaurant. We are positivelly sure that it was hummingbird, completelly gray, 2-3 inches long. Any comment? Dragan Mihailovic, Belgrade , Serbia

 

[KC Foggin]

Not sure what you saw but I did want to offer you a warm welcome from those of us on staff here at BirdForum.

I'm going to move your thread to the bird I D section to see if you can get some suggestions as to what you saw.

 

[KC Foggin]

I have also subscribed you to this thread so you will be notified by email if someone posts to it.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Welcome to BirdForum from me too. It looks like your enquiry has already been answered here:
https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=367410

 

[tconzemi]

In Greece most probably a Hummingbird Hawk-moth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mESHNZm7ty0 large as a regular Hummingbird and long 'bill'
and welcome to BF

 

[Kinthissa]

Hello Dragan! When I first saw Hummingbird hawkmoths here in Italy, I really thought they were tiny birds. After seeing your enquiry, I spent the afternoon looking for old photos (they have not come to our area for several years now).

There is also another hawkmoth which likes to hover over flowers, which I saw on a Sicilian island, that is more like where you were at Epirus.

nos. 1, 2, 3 Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Macroglossum stellatarum L. (forewing 1.6 - 2cm), Lunigiana Tuscany July 2013

nos. 4, 5 Striped Hawkmoth, Hyles lineata F. (forewing 3 - 4cm), Marettimo Sicily April 2018

The measurement the book gives is of one forewing, so two forewings + body width to get an idea of size. The second kind, Striped Hawkmoth, is quite big.

I am sure you will find better photos on the web! Hawkmoths are beautiful, some kinds with forewing of 6cm. You were lucky to have seen them in a wonderful setting.

 

[TLeukering]

There are no hummingbirds in the Old World.

 

[aeshna5]

There are no hummingbirds in the Old World.

Not strictly true. No wild ones but they are kept in a few collections so there is always the possibility of an escape.

The OP's is probably a hawkmoth though!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I think there are some records of Rufous Hummingbird from the far east of Siberia, so technically hummingbirds aren't unkown from the Old World in the wild but only from the bits closest to the New World.

 

[PYRTLE]

Mods, can we amalgamated the two threads into one please, both titled the same. Thank you.