Bird watching in Crete is quite challenging but can be very rewarding. There are several reasons for its challenge, the major ones are :

a) In the Mediterranean there is very little tidal range thus leading to virtually no tidal mud flats/river estuaries by comparison with Britain.

b) There are almost no Nature Reserves as such. There are a few such as the Samaria Gorge but these are usually not dedicated specifically for birds. Therefore the birdwatcher is not “spoon fed” by just going to a reserve and being fairly sure that something interesting will be there.

c) In summer & autumn many rivers have dried up thus again meaning that fewer birds are about.
The rewards are that anything can turn up anywhere. The Roller was seen just near a small road junction in Western Crete.

Many other birds can also be seen if one is observant. For instance the hills above Ahladia in Eastern Crete have yielded many dozens of Eleneoras Falcon in summer, also Golden Eagle, Ravens & Griffon Vultures at any time of the year. The Griffons can usually be seen in almost any of the gorges which are where they normally nest. The Zakros Gorge in Eastern Crete, the Kourtaliotiko Gorge in Central Crete & the Deliana Gorge in Western Crete are good places to look for them.

The Agia (sometimes spelt Aghia) reservoir near Hania (sometimes Chania or Xania) in Western Crete is a very good place to see many birds. These can include Booted Eagle, Goshawk, Glossy Ibis, Wood Sandpiper, White Stork, Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier and also that most elegant of birds, the Black Winged Stilt.

There is little in the way of helpful publications but “Birdwatching in Crete” by Stephanie Coghlan can be a help for locations and likely species.