A wonderful image remained with his winter visitors Evros Delta. Thousands of swans of various species have taken refuge in the waters of the river, which is becoming especially important for biodiversity for another reason. Of great importance was the presence of thousands of swans that came to winter in the Evros Delta, making it one of the most important refuges of this species in Europe and throughout the world. According to this year Counting waterfowl in the middle of winter which took place in mid-January, the Evros Delta, Dadia and East Thrace National Park Department officials counted more than 9,000 birds.

In the Ebro Delta, the population of the tern swan has shown a particularly strong increase over the past fifteen years: out of 30 individuals observed in 2005, this species shows geometric growth year after year. In 2010, 2200 birds were sighted, in 2016 – 8400, and last winter about 11,000 birds were counted, which is a record number for the region. According to scientists from the Evros Delta National Park Authority, Dadia and others, there are very few places in the world where such a large number of pygmy swans live.

winter guest

Although the pygmy swan is the smallest of the three species of swans found in our country (the other two are the mute swan or the common swan and the wild swan), it is a very large bird with a wingspan of almost two meters. . In Greek wetlands it occurs exclusively as a winter visitor. Until the mid-1990s, there were less than ten sightings of pygmy swans in our country. In recent years, their presence has become regular, with most of the population wintering in the Evros Delta in mixed flocks along with two other swan species. Greek Ornithological Society.

Their winter population has shown a geometric increase in recent years: in 2005, 30 birds were sighted, and last year, 11,000 birds were counted.

In fact, outside the Evros Delta, the swan has a large winter presence in Lake Kerkini, as well as in Lakes Axios, Karla and Koronea and Volvi in ​​recent years. Over the past decade, mid-winter waterfowl censuses coordinated by the Ornithological Society have recorded an average of about 1,550 birds each winter, while according to the EOE, more than 4,500 birds have been recorded on Evros alone in some years. was registered, and it is estimated that there may be even more counts out of the season.

The mute swan breeds mainly in the arctic tundra, from where it leaves in autumn, migrating from Western Europe to Japan for the winter. In the delta of Evros, the first swans arrive in October. There they form mixed groups along with two other species of swans that also winter in Greece, the whooper swan and the mute swan. The peak of their numbers is in January and February, and by mid-March the birds leave the Ebro Delta, moving north.

population trend

As reassuring as the abundant presence of the pygmy swan in Greece is, the broader trend in its population is worrying. The European wintering population has shown a particularly significant decline over the past 25 years: from 29,000 birds counted in 1995, the total number of mute swans wintering in Europe is now less than 15,000 individuals, with the species classified as vulnerable.

This assessment highlights the need to protect the Ebro Delta region as it becomes a key wintering ground for vulnerable species. According to the Evros Delta, Dadia, etc. National Park Management Department, the swans use both the Greek and Turkish sides of the delta, since the former is a safe haven, mainly for overnight stays, while the latter is an area rich in food due to the large areas with rice crops. It is believed that the restriction and fight against poaching and other troubles in the area contributed to the formation of conditions for an increase in the presence of swans in the Evros delta.