05/11/2008
The Fauna

Under Construction Source: Prefecture of Serres

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The Fauna
Apart from the birds, Lake Kerkini is home to numerous other animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals, but the vas majority of the fauna here, as elsewhere, are invertebrates, and in particular insects.
A recent ongoing survey has so far revealed the presence of well over 1,000 species of insects within the nature reserve, although this survey is still in its infancy it already has three new species to science and over 50 new records for Greece to its credit. The total number of insect species present within the boundaries of the nature reserve is probably in excess of 4,000,
Of all the insects present, it is the 120 species of butterflies that most catch the visitors eye. Wherever you wander, and in every month of the year you can find butterflies here, in mid-winter they only show themselves on the warmest days but for the rest of the year they are present in abundance and will delight even the hardest of hearts with their beauty.
If you are a night person, then the more than 350 known species of moths will be an instant attraction for you. Wetland Kerkini also boasts 47 species of Grasshoppers and Crickets, including the giant Saga natoliae, as well as numerous Damselflies, Dragonflies, Beetles, True flies and many solitary bees and wasps. All in all, with so few of its species recorded Wetland Kerkini is 'an adventure in waiting' for any amateur, or professional, entomologist.
Needless to say the nature reserve is also home to many interesting species centipedes, millipede and spiders including the impressive Arglope bruennichi, and also to one species of Scorpion.
The wetland contains many fish, and the lake, as well as the river down stream of the dam, is fished commercially for various cyprinids. All told 31 species of fish can be found in and around the lake, ranging in size from the tiny Mosquito Fish to the giant Wels Catfish. The absolute number of fish, while mostly unseen and therefore unappreciated, is immense, and it is their abundance that accounts for the presence of the various piscivorous species of birds for which the wetland has become famo
Being a wetland Lake Kerkini supports a huge population of amphibians, and if a frog chorus is music to your ears then this is the place to visit. With 8 species of frogs and toads, including the attractive Green Toad and the endangered Eastern Spade-foot the chorus is quite variable at times. Other species to look out for include the Yellow-bellied Toad, the Tree Frog, the Stream Frog and the Fire Salamander

Reptiles also do well in wetland habitats, and as the nature reserve also includes many drier terrestrial habitats reptiles are well represented here. Two species of tortoise, Herman's and Spur-thighed, are common here. They are easy to find as they are wandering around the lower foothills of both mountain ranges. The various waterways are home to both the Stripe-necked Terrapin and the Pond Terrapin.
Ten species of Lizards are present including the delightful Kofschy's Gecko, which can be found after dark on the walls of many buildings, and the beautiful Balkan and Common Green Lizards. Another impressive lizard to look out for is the large, but slow and completely harmless European Glass Snake, which as its name implies looks like a snake, but which is really a legless lizard.

Among the 12 species of snakes that live here the most unusual and challenging to find is undoubtedly the Sand Boa. Trying to decide which of the other snakes present is the most attractive is also difficult. The Cat Snake, the Four-lined Snake and the unusual striped form of the common Grass Snake are all quite beautiful, and, along with the large, but less colourful Large Whip Snake, make strong contenders, however the prize must go to the slim and elegantly marked Leopard Snake.
Snakes can be found throughout most of the reserve with several species, including the two Nafrix species, enjoying the water as much as the fish and frogs they eat.
Of all the vertebrate animals living in the nature reserve the wild mammals are the scarcest. However being walking quietly you can find some of them, In the pine plantations on the higher reaches of the mountains there are Red Squirrels which are always a delight to watch, and by taking in the lower parts of the mountains you can have a good chance of seeing Roe Deer, Red Fox and Brown Hare, the last two are more likely to be seen around dusk when you may also see Wildcat, which is quite common here, and Eastern Hedgehog as well as a variety of Mustelids.
Otters use all the waterways and they signs and spraints are easy to find, even if the animals themselves are more elusive. Wild Boar thrives
in the mountains, despite the hunting pressure, and small groups of Wolves and Jackals exist to the north of the lake. An even more secretive and unusual mammal is the Lesser Mole-rat which lives on the N-Eastern side of the lake. However in terms of number it is the Bats, Mice, Rats and Shrews that make up the majority of the wild mammals here.
As a visitor to the wetland you will also want to observe the most visible of the domestic mammals, the Water Buffalo. Wetland Kerkini, with over 1,000, is home to the largest population of these in the Balkans. With their slow gait, their great love of mud and water and their large size they are an attractive and obvious part of the wetland environment.
While fhere is no doubt that all the animals that live in the wetland are important to the unique balance and beauty of the environment here it is the birds that catch most peoples' attention, and it is because of the birds that the site has become both a RAMSAR and an IBA (Important Bird Area) site.
At any time of year the wetland is home to more than 10,000 water birds. In the late summer this number may rise to nearly 20,000 with all the fledgling Cormorants, and in winter it can be over 30,000, most of which will be ducks, of which 18 species can be seen here.
Among the over wintering ducks the small numbers of White-headed Duck, Red-crested Pochard and the Ferruginous Duck are of most interest to visitors from Western Europe, however the large numbers of Gadwall and the huge flocks of Pochard, up to 10,000 in one flock, are also a notable attraction. In early Spring the lake is also temporarily home to hundreds of Garganey as they take a cafe-break in their northward migration. Besides the ducks you can expect to see 3 maybe 4 species of Geese and, if the winter is harsh further north, 3 species of Swans.

Other over wintering attractions worth looking out for are the Spotted Eagles, the Flamingoes and the occasional Common Crane, or even a Black Stork. However Black Storks, and the more common White Stork both breed here and are easier to see in the warmer months of the year,
In Spring and Summer the Spotted Eagles are absent, but they are replaced by the Lesser Spotted Eagles that come here to breed.
Other Eagles that breed here include the Golden, Short-toed, White-tailed and Booted Eagles, all of which are easily seen here between April and July/August.
The Wetland also is an excellent site for smaller raptors during the Spring and Early Summer, with breeding Black Kites, Goshawks, Levant Sparrowhawks and Peregrins joining the list of more common raptors and Red-footed and Eleanora's Falcons which only make their presence known as they pass through on migration, often in large numbers.

The Wetland is of course most famous for its breeding Pygmy Cormorants and Dalmatian Pelicans both of which are residents, and for the large numbers of other species that breed here in the mixed colony of the drowned forest such as Little Egrets, Grey Herons, Purple Herons, Night Herons, Squacco Herons, Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis, and in other places around the lake i.e. Little Bitterns and Great-crested Grebes and Little Grebes. The beauty these birds bring to the lake is at times astounding, and only by seeing can it be truly appreciated.
Throughout the nature reserve Cirl, Black-headed and Corn Buntings are common at lake level while both Ortolan and Rock Buntings are fairly common higher in the mountains.
Other species worth looking out for include Black-eared Wheatears, Black-winged Stilts, Turtle Doves, Middle Spotted, Syrian, White-backed, Grey-headed and Black Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Fly-catchers, Rock Nut-hatch, Rock Thrushes, Blue Rock Thrushes and migrating Rose-coloured Starlings in the second half of May.
Aside from the raptors and water birds the Wetland is also home to a wonderful variety of passerines. Bee-eaters, Hoopoes and Golden Orioles fill the country-side with their colour and the beauty of their song. Four species of Shrikes, including Masked also breed here.
Seven or eight species of Tits can be found in different parts of the reserve, including
Penduline Tits and Sombre Tits. A variety of Warblers such as Sub-alpine, Barred, Olive-tree, and Olivaceous are to be found in the lower scrublands while Great Reed, Marsh and Cetti's, add their voices to the general entertainment of the lake-side.
Finally it should be mentioned that Nightjars and at least 6 species of Owls will give you something to do after the sun has set and the other birds are asleep, Little Owls are common, and often noisy, residents in and around the villages. Scops Owls, while not a resident, breeds here and is also common around the villages. Eagle Owls are also residents, but are rarer and you need to get out of the villages at dusk to see them.