With 408 field hours, 28 species and over 4.500 birds, the autumn monitoring period of predator migration in Antikythera has reached to an end!
In an overall assessment of the season, this year we had the third best performance of the last decade in terms of the maximum number of birds observed in an autumn season, as our team at the Antikythera Bird Obervatory (ABO) recorded 4.667 raptors and other birds passing through the sky of the island. The weather proved to be our ally in this effort since there were very few days that we had to stop recording due to bad weather.
Concerning the species that have been recorded, the majority of them were raptors and we also recorded herons and storks. The European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) made up the bulk of the birds again this year with 3.055 individuals (65% of all recorded birds of the season!). Marsh harriers (Circus aeruginosus) and Black kites (Milvus migrans) followed with 487 and 237 birds respectively, numbers above standard averages of previous years.
And this is where the records start. Five species that have gotten us used to very small numbers over the years, broke every pre-existing record for their numbers on the island:
Lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni): 115 birds were observed shattering the previous years' average of just 4 birds per season!
Levant sparrowhaks (Accipiter brevipes): 81 birds were observed ,while the previous record was 45 birds in 2014!
Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis): 6 birds were observed , while we typically see 1 to 2 birds per season.
Lesser spotted eagles (Aquila pomarina): 26 birds were observed breaking the record of 18 birds in 2018. Interestingly, the largest mass passed over a few days period, specifically on days when there was no wind at all!
Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus): 11 individuals were observed, a record compared to the previous 9 we had seen in 2017. This species is not afraid to cross the sea even when the weather conditions are bad that’ s why we were used to seeing them approach the island very few times in recent years. This increase has been seen in recent years and is consistent with trends from the other raptor monitoring stations in the Western Palearctic.
In addition to the significant numbers of birds that highlight Antikythera as a corridor for raptor migration and the value of the Antikythira Bird Observatory (ABO) for monitoring it, we also had some notable species observations:
- Two young Lanner falcons (Falco biarmicus), passed by the island, with one remaining for a few days. This species was seen again last year on the island after several years of absence; it remains to be seen if the ''streak'' will continue in the following years.
- A juvenile Bonnelis eagle (Aquila fashiata), a species that although believed to have been nesting in the area long time ago, similar to the Lanner falcons had not been recorded on the island for 10 years!
The slow hours without raptors were complemented by plenty of migratory passerines and the company of volunteers and stems of NECCA whom we thank very much for the beautiful moments and the help they provided!
If you are interested to learn more about raptors’ migration, our actions, and to download the information and education materials, visit the project website: www.ornithologiki.gr/raptor_count
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