The cliffs and mountains of Cyprus provide the perfect backdrop for Griffon Vultures. Photo: Rick Wright
Lying on one the Western Palearctic’s major flyways, Cyprus offers the chance to witness the spectacle of spring migration while encountering many of Europe’s scarcer resident species—plus, of course, the island’s two endemics. A wide range of species is possible in mid-April, from flocks of migrating larks and bushes full of warblers to Caspian Plovers and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters.
Based at a single base in the west of the island, we’ll be located within easy traveling distance of a myriad of habitats, from the famous Paphos headland to the mountains of the Troodos and the saltpans of Akrotiri. The pace will be leisurely, with some days broken into optional sections; each day’s lunch will be a relaxing picnic of local specialties prepared by the leaders. Classic Mediterranean birds, stunning scenery, and the expectation of fine weather should make for a delightful springtime birding experience.
Day 1: Our tour begins with an afternoon flight from London to Cyprus. We’ll transfer to our hotel in Paphos, and there should be time for some birding close by on the famous headland. Night in Paphos.
Days 2-7: We’ve timed this tour to coincide with a peak in migration across the island. By mid-April the majority of the migrant breeders have also returned. Our days will start with an optional pre-breakfast visit to a local site in search of freshly arrived migrants. Overhead there may well be small groups of Short-toed Larks, Black-headed and White Wagtails, and Tree and Red-throated Pipits, while the scrub could produced Isabelline, Black-eared, and Northern Wheatears; Eastern Olivaceous, Rüppell’s, and Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers; and Ortolan and Cretzschmar’s Buntings. We’ll also keep an eye out for the likes of Cinerous Bunting.
On one day we’ll visit Akrotiri Marsh, which comprises various habitats from saltpans to freshwater pools and reedbeds. Here we’ll look for Greater Flamingo, Squacco and Purple Herons, Ferruginous Duck, Black-winged Stilt, Gull-billed and Whiskered Terns, Slender-billed Gull, and migrating shorebirds including Marsh, Curlew, and Broad-billed Sandpipers and Great Snipe. We’ll also stop at Kensington Cliffs in the hope that a few Eleonora’s Falcons have returned to the traditional breeding ledges. The cliffs are also home to the island’s last colony of Griffon Vultures.
On one day we’ll explore up into the Troodos Mountains. This scenic region is of great interest to geologists and botanists, and the impressive resident avifauna includes a number of very interesting subspecies. Against the mountains’ perfect backdrop we’ll hope to see Griffon Vulture, Bonelli’s Eagle, Pallid and Alpine Swifts, Crag Martin, and the local forms of Coal Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Masked Shrike, and Crossbill.
North and east of Paphos, a maze of rivers flow down from the Troodos to the coast, providing ample habitat for migrants to feed before continuing north. We’ll hope for good opportunities to compare Subalpine, Sardinian, Rüppell’s, and Eastern Orphean Warblers, often virtually in the same bush, while Great Spotted Cuckoos should be in evidence around any pine stands. In the wetter areas there is a chance of Little Crake, Bluethroat, and Savi’s Warbler, while dry hillsides are home to Black Francolin and to the endemic Cyprus Wheatear and Cyprus Warbler. We’ll also be keeping an eye out for Pallid Harrier, Red-footed Falcon, Cream-colored Courser, Bimaculated Lark, Citrine Wagtail, and Collared Flycatcher: April is an exciting time to be on Cyprus!
The Akamas Penisula in the northwest of the island will offer us yet another superb day out. Ancient olive groves, Mediterranean scrub, pine copses, and wildflower meadows make this a wonderful area for Bee-eater, Roller, Hoopoe, Blue Rock Thrush, and Woodchat and Lesser Gray Shrikes. We’ll visit the Baths of Aphrodite, an idyllic shaded pool where legend holds that Aphrodite would bathe after entertaining her lovers. This area is great for migrants, and we’ll be on the lookout for Wryneck, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Golden Oriole, and Ortolan Bunting, among many others. Cyprus is rich in history, and there will be time for those interested to visit the amazing Roman mosaics at Paphos.
Nights in Paphos.
Day 8: If our flight time permits, there will be a chance for some last-minute birding before we transfer to the hotel for the flight back to London, where the tour ends.
Updated: 14 June 2010
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $2,550*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $210
Notes
Maximum group size seven with one leader, 14 with two leaders.
Participants wishing to join the group in Cyprus should contact the WINGS office.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.
* This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird. Please review the explanation of our Sunbird pricing here.