Bird: Alectoris chukar (chukar partridge - Νησιώτικη πέρδικα)

Alectoris chukar (chukar partridge - Νησιώτικη πέρδικα)

The chukar partridge or chukar (Alectoris chukar) is a Eurasian upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It has been considered to form a superspecies complex along with the rock partridge, Philby's partridge and Przevalski's partridge and treated in the past as conspecific particularly with the first. This partridge has well marked black and white bars on the flanks and a black band running from the forehead across the eye and running down the head to form a necklace that encloses a white throat. 

The chukar is a rotund 32–35 cm long partridge, with a light brown back, grey breast, and buff belly. The shades vary across the various populations. The face is white with a black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks, red legs and coral red bill. Sexes are similar, the female slightly smaller in size and lacking the spur.The tail has 14 feathers, the third primary is the longest while the first is level with the fifth and sixth primaries.

It is very similar to the rock partridge (Alectoris graeca) with which it has been lumped in the past[4] but is browner on the back and has a yellowish tinge to the foreneck. The sharply defined gorget distinguishes this species from the red-legged partridge which has the black collar breaking into dark streaks near the breast. Their song is a noisy chuck-chuck-chukar-chukar from which the name is derived. The Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara) has a reddish brown rather than black collar with a grey throat and face with a chestnut crown.

Other common names of this bird include chukker (chuker or chukor), Indian chukar and keklik. Wikipedia

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Bird: Tachybaptus ruficollis ( Little grebe - Νανοβουτηχτάρι)

Tachybaptus ruficollis (little grebe - Νανοβουτηχτάρι, Νεροβούτης)

The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. At 23 to 29 cm (9.1 to 11.4 in) in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.
The little grebe is a small water bird with a pointed bill. The adult is unmistakable in summer, predominantly dark above with its rich, rufous colour neck, cheeks and flanks, and bright yellow gape. The rufous is replaced by a dirty brownish grey in non-breeding and juvenile birds.
Juvenile birds have a yellow bill with a small black tip, and black and white streaks on the cheeks and sides of the neck as seen below. This yellow bill darkens as the juveniles age, eventually turning black in adulthood.
In winter, its size, buff plumage, with a darker back and cap, and “powder puff” rear end enable easy identification of this species. The little grebe's breeding call, given singly or in duet, is a trilled repeated weet-weet-weet or wee-wee-wee which sounds like a horse whinnying. Wikipedia

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Bird: Aythya ferina (common pochard - Γκισάρι, Κοντούρα)

Aythya ferina (common pochard - Γκισάρι, Κοντούρα)

The common pochard (Aythya ferina) is a medium-sized diving duck.

The adult male has a long dark bill with a grey band, a red head and neck, a black breast, red eyes and a grey back. The adult female has a brown head and body and a narrower grey bill-band. The triangular head shape is distinctive. 

Their breeding habitat is marshes and lakes with a metre or more water depth.

These are gregarious birds, forming large flocks in winter, often mixed with other diving ducks such as tufted duck, with which they are known to hybridise.

These birds feed mainly by diving or dabbling. They eat aquatic plants with some molluscs, aquatic insects and small fish. They often feed at night, and will up-end for food as well as the more characteristic diving.Wikipedia

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Bird: Oenanthe finschii (Finsch's Wheatear - Βουνοπετρόκλης)

Oenanthe finschii (Finsch's Wheatear - Βουνοπετρόκλης)

 

Το Cyprus Discovery σας παρουσιάζει τον Βουνοπετρόκλης. Ο Βουνοπετρόκλης είναι ένα από τα πουλιά που το συναντάμε στην Κύπρο.  Είναι κυρίως χειμερινός επισκέπτης και περαστικός κατά την διάρκεια της μετανάστευσης.  Η επιστημονική ονομασία είναι  του Oenanthe finschii και η αγγλική είναι Finsch's Wheatear.  Είναι ένα μικρού μεγέθους πουλί το οποίο το ύψος του φθάνει μέχρι τα 15-16cm Το αρσενικό διαφέρει από το θηλυκό.  Το θηλυκό είναι καστανόγκριζο ενώ το αρσενικό είναι λευκό και μαύρο χρώμα.  Γενικά τα χρώματα του είναι σκούρο καφέ. Ο Βουνοπετρόκλης συχνάζει σε ε χαμηλά βουνά και σε βραχώδεις περιοχές με αραιή βλάστηση. Τρέφεται με έντομα, επίσης, μερικούς σπόρους και άλλα φυτικά υλικά.

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Orchids of Cyprus: Anacamptis collina (Orchis collina - Fanlipped Orchid )

Anacamptis collina (Orchis collina - Fanlipped Orchid)

Anarita Paphos - 27 January 2015

Anarita Paphos - 27 January 2015

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Bird: Corvus monedula (Eurasian Jackdaw -Ευρωπαϊκή Κάργια)

Corvus monedula (Eurasian Jackdaw -Ευρωπαϊκή Κάργια)

The western jackdaw (Corvus monedula), also known as the Eurasian jackdaw, European jackdaw, or simply jackdaw, is a passerine bird in the crow family. Found across Europe, western Asia and North Africa, it is mostly resident, although northern and eastern populations migrate south in winter.
The common name derives from the word "jack", meaning "small", and "daw", the native English name for the bird.
Measuring 34–39 centimetres (13–15 in) in length, the western jackdaw is a black-plumaged bird with a grey nape and distinctive pale-grey irises. It is gregarious and vocal, living in small groups with a complex social structure in farmland, open woodland, on coastal cliffs, and in urban settings. An omnivorous and opportunistic feeder, it eats a wide variety of plant material and invertebrates, as well as food waste from urban areas. Western jackdaws are monogamous and build simple nests of sticks in cavities in trees, cliffs, or buildings. About five pale blue or blue-green eggs with brown speckles are laid and incubated by the female. The young fledge in four to five weeks. Wikipedia

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Ibises and spoonbills

	Ibises and spoonbills
	Order: Ciconiiformes. Family: Threskiornithidae
	English Name	Latin Name	Greek Name
	Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus	Χαλκόκοτα
	Eurasian spoonbill	Platalea leucorodia	Χουλιαρομύτα

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Bird: Emberiza calandra (Corn Bunting - Τσιφτάς)

Emberiza calandra (Corn Bunting - Τσιφτάς)

The corn bunting (Emberiza calandra) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae.This is an unusual bunting because the sexes appear similar in plumage, although the males are approximately 20% larger than females. This large bulky bunting is 16–19 cm long, with similar plumages for the male and female, and lacks the showy male colours, especially on the head, common in the genus Emberiza. Both sexes look something like larks, with streaked grey-brown above, and whitish underparts.Wikipedia

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Bird: Tringa ochropus (Green sandpiper - δασότρυγγας)

Tringa ochropus (Green sandpiper - Δασότρυγγας)

January - Zakaki

The green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) is a small wader (shorebird) of the Old World. It represents an ancient lineage of the genus Tringa

This species is a somewhat plump wader with a dark greenish-brown back and wings, greyish head and breast and otherwise white underparts. The back is spotted white to varying extents, being maximal in the breeding adult, and less in winter and young birds. The legs and short bill are both dark green. Wikipedia

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Bird: Alauda arvensis (Sky Lark - Σιταρήθρα, σταρήθρα - τρασιήλα)

Bird of Cyprus : Alauda arvensis (Sky Lark - Σιταρήθρα, σταρήθρα - τρασιήλα)

Size : 18 - 19 cm

Wingspan : 30 - 36 cm

Eggs : 6

Feeding : needs abundant insect food during the summer, but is mainly granivorous in winter.
Habitat : fields
Status : Winter and passage visitor ( very abundant )

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