Birding in Lake Kerkini
Lake Kerkini is a wetland with global importance and great biological value although is an artificial lake! The great value of Lake Kerkini is due to the relatively small depth, the position of the lake in relation with the immigrating birds that birds follow, and also due to the high productivity due to the periodically flooding with water in the enhancement of nutrient elements. The area of the Lake varys from 50.000 acres to 80.000 acres depending on season.
Protected by the Ramsar Convention and from Greek and European Laws, Kerkini Lake is part of the network “Narura 2000”, and is a birding paradise! In Lake Kerkini there are more than 10000birds and 300 bird species! Due to the great biological value of the Lake, in the area can be found more than 620 species of plants, 10 species of amphibians, more than 30 species of fishes and more than 120 species of butterflies!
In Lake Kerkini nest Grebes, Squacco Herons, Purple and Little Egrets and Common Coots! Birdwatchers can reach with a canoe or a boat from a distance the nests of Pygmy Cormorants, Great Cormorants, Black –crowned Night Herons and Squacco Herons in the old watercourse. Also around the Lake Kerkini can be found Great-crested and Little Grebes and Little Bittens.
White-headed and Red-crested Ducks and Ferruginous Ducks can be found in small number in Lake Kerkini as well as a great number of Gadwall and huge flocks of Pochard.
Little Ringed Plovers, Black-winged Stilts and Northern Lapwing nest in the sandy islets nest while on the river banks nest on the ground European bee-eaters, Bank swallows and Common Kingfishers.
A large variety of warblers as well such as Olive-tree, Barred Subalpine, and Olivaceous is likely to be found in the lower scrublands. Great Reeds, Marsh and the Cetti’s Warblers is also possible to be found in Lake Kerkini! Four different species of Shrikes, including the Masked Shrike as they reproduce in the Lake, along with passerines like Hoopoes and Golden Orioles is most likely to be observed in the Lake and also
Lake Kerkini is surrounded by Mountain Belles and Mavrovouni. Due to their dense vegetation there are many birds of Prey, as in the mountains nest quite few of them like the Lesser Spotted and the Bonelli’s Eagle, the Great Spotted Eagle, the Peregrine Falcon, the Eurasian Hobby, the Levant Sparrowhawk and the Northern Goshawk.
