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Overview
This has now become the meeting place for birding visitors to Cyprus and where information is exchanged about latest sightings.
A headland in the south-western corner of the island, Paphos has short turf with scrub, a lighthouse and gardens, ideal for attracting migrant passerines.
Birds
Notable Species
Pipits, including Red-throated Pipit and Tawny Pipit, and larks such as Bimaculated Lark and Greater Short-toed Lark, occur in good numbers. Passage wheatears include Isabelline Wheatear and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. Orphean Warbler and Ruppell's Warbler, shrikes, buntings, Wryneck and Hoopoe also occur.
Other migrants pass by the headland over the sea and these include shearwaters, skuas, gulls and terns, waders and waterfowl, even herons and local specialities such as Glossy Ibis and Greater Flamingo.
Passage raptors can include all four harriers and Red-footed Falcon, also occurring are Greater Sand Plover, pratincoles, Hoopoe and European Roller.
Both endemic species, Cyprus Pied Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler, breed commonly in the Paphos area and this is one of the easiest sites in the Western Palearctic to find Black Francolin.
The headland is a regular wintering site for Merlin and Stone-curlew.
Rarities
This well-watched area inevitably produces vagrants and in recent years Cream-coloured Courser, Pallas's Gull, Caspian Plover and Mourning Wheatear have been recorded.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Cory's Shearwater, Yelkouan Shearwater, Great Cormorant, Mediterranean Shag, Little Bittern, Black-crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Greater Flamingo, Northern Pintail, Garganey, European Honey Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Merlin, Eurasian Hobby, Chukar Partridge, Black Francolin, Common Quail, Stone-curlew, Collared Pratincole, Black-winged Pratincole, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Eurasian Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Spur-winged Plover, Ruff, Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Arctic Skua, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Slender-billed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Audouin's Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Common Woodpigeon, European Turtle Dove, Common Swift, Alpine Swift, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Wryneck, Calandra Lark, Bimaculated Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Eurasian Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail and Black-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Common Wren, Common Nightingale, (PM), Eurasian Robin, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, European Stonechat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Cyprus Pied Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Song Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, Sedge Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Ruppell's Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Spotted Flycatcher, Collared Flycatcher, Semi-collared Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher, Cyprus Coal Tit, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Masked Shrike, Cyprus Jay, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Ortolan Bunting, Cretzschmar's Bunting, Corn Bunting
Other Wildlife
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Site Information
History and Use
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Areas of Interest
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Access and Facilities
Paphos is a pleasant harbour town with plentiful accommodation and an airport. For the headland follow signs from the town to the lighthouse.
Contact Details
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External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
