BirdWatching Kerkini Lake

Bird watching in Lake Kerkini National Park, Greece

The price is per boat

At all times of year the lake offers exciting opportunities for birdwatching. In January and February wildfowl numbers continue to build as Greater Spotted and White-tailed Eagles patrol the shore. Migrants start arriving in March and April and by May trees around the lake are full of Bee-eaters, Golden Orioles, Masked, Woodchat, Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrikes and a whole host of warblers.

Also using the lake itself are Little Bittern, Great, Cattle and Little Egrets, Grey and Purple Herons, Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis and a variety of terns and waders. Return passage begins in July and numbers of White Pelicans grow into the thousands until their departure in October when Lesser White-fronted Geese arrive alongside the first Cranes of the winter.

Autumn migration (September – late October/early November)
Migration is already going on with the migrants occurring everywhere around the lake. Beautiful Flamingos arrive and steadily increase their numbers to a few thousands until mid-winter. Many Passerines (Whinchats, Flycatchers, Pipits and Wagtails, Warblers, Lark species, Hirundines etc.), Waders, are passing by while others are staying to overwinter.
First Swan, Geese and duck Species arrive with most noteworthy to mention the Lesser White Fronted Geese flock that spends the half winter period in the lake area.

Winter (late November – late February/early March)
Thousands ducks of more than 10 species are gathering in and around lake, along with good numbers of the 3 Swan species, White-fronted Geese, the flock of LWF Geese, and rarely few Red-breasted Geese. The many overwintering raptors show that the ecosystem is rich in food and healthy. Most important raptor is the Greater Spotted Eagle with more than 10 birds during the winter, some Ionely Imperials occur as well, many Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, fewer Marsh and Hen Harriers, few Goshawks, Peregrines, Merlins, Kestrels and others.

Spring (late March – late May/early June)
The green color dominates everything around the lake (mountains, meadows). Along with that change spring brings many Herons and Egrets to breed, many Passerines (Hirundines, Cuckoos, Golden Orioles, Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Rollers, Shrikes, Turtle Doves, Buntings, Warblers and others) , many passaging (Osprey, Harriers sps., Red-footed Falcons) and breeding Raptors (Lesser Spotted Eagle, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Honey Buzzards, Black Kites, Levant Sparrowhawks), Terns (Common, Little, Whiskered, Black, Black-winged).
White Pelicans flocks arrive to spend the summer but not to breed. The riparian forest now is full of nesting Cormorants, Pygmy Cormorants, Herons and Egrets, Spoonbills as well as the 2 artificial platforms and 1 big island for the Dalmatian Pelicans for their breeding.



Throughout the year  Winter - Autumn - Spring - Summer you have the option to go boating, horseback riding, archery, canoeing, cycling and Photography boat trip (birds and landscape) on its shores.

Kerkini Lake
At the northwest part of Serres County, just 40km from the city of Serres, and approximately 100km from Thessaloniki, we meet one of the most beautiful places of Greece, Lake Kerkini and the unique wetland – it has been voted as National Park according to the International Ramsar Convention, one of the 10 wetlands of International Importance in Greece. 

Human intervention created this heaven. At 1932 the first dam at the waters of Strimonas River was constructed and gradually Lake Kerkini was formed. Read more about the history of Lake Kerkini.

The coastal vegetation with riparian forests with wild willows, the floating lily pads in an area of thousands of acres, the great fish variety, the buffaloes that swim in the serene lake waters, but also the wonderful horizon formed by the mountains of mount Belles and Krousion, make this land extremely attractive. The lake offers unique observation conditions for birds. Today it is one of Europe’s best places for natural observation of almost 300 rare and protected species that live and reproduce here. It is not a coincidence that scientists and amateurs from all over the world visit us every year to carry out their researches.

Meeting point & exact meeting time will be arranged with your guide.

There are 2 options:

• Bird watching by boat
• Bird watching on land, from the shores of the lake