Cape Tenaro Bird List

Cape Tenaro – An Annotated Checklist

This list is intended to give visiting birders an indication of the status of the birds seen on (or from) the Cape Tenaro headland. It is based on numerous spring visits between 24 March and 10 May (generally of 1 to 2 weeks duration) and a single short visit in autumn.

A ‘notes’ section at the end of the document defines the descriptors used to explain the status of each species. 

Species	Status in Spring	Earliest Date
Quail	Regular migrant, numbers very variable	??
Rock Partridge	Scarce visitor, breeds north of the headland
Rock Dove	Scarce visitor
Wood Pigeon	Rare migrant (1 record)
Turtle Dove	Common migrant	24 Mar
Collared Dove	Regular migrant / visitor
Cuckoo	Regular migrant	1 April
Nightjar	Regular migrant (likely under recorded)	6 April
Alpine Swift	Regular migrant / visitor (breeds nearby)	??
Common Swift	Common migrant	??
Pallid Swift	Regular migrant	??
Little Swift	Rare migrant (1 record)
Moorhen	Rare migrant (1 record)
Little Crake	Rare migrant (1 record)
Stone-curlew	Scarce migrant	31 March
Black-winged Stilt	Scarce migrant	26 March
Oystercatcher	Rare migrant (1 record)
Eurasian Golden Plover	Rare migrant (2 records)
Common Ringed Plover	Rare migrant (1 record)
Whimbrel	Rare migrant (2 records)
Eurasian Curlew	Rare migrant (1 record)
Ruddy Turnstone	Rare migrant (4 records)
Little Stint	Rare migrant (1 record)
Common Sandpiper	Common migrant, numbers very variable	28 March
Green Sandpiper	Rare migrant (4 records)
Greenshank	Regular migrant	31 March
Wood Sandpiper	Rare migrant (2 records)
Common Redshank	Rare migrant (2 records)
Mediterranean Gull	Rare migrant (1 record)
Audouin's Gull	Scarce visitor
Yellow-legged Gull	Resident
Lesser Black-backed Gull	Rare migrant (4 records)
Cory's Shearwater	Regular visitor
Balearic Shearwater	Regular visitor
Black Stork	No spring records. 1 autumn record.
White Stork	Rare migrant (3 records)
Northern Gannet	Rare migrant (5 records)
Shag	Scarce visitor
Little Bittern	Rare migrant (4 records)	14 April
Grey Heron	Regular migrant	??
Purple Heron	Scarce migrant	??
Great White Egret	Rare migrant (1 record)
Little Egret	Regular migrant	8 April
Cattle Egret	Rare migrant (2 records)
Squacco Heron	Scarce migrant	18 April
Night Heron	Scarce migrant	3 April
Glossy Ibis	Rare migrant (3 records)
Osprey	Rare migrant (4 records)
Honey-buzzard	Scarce migrant	8 April
Short-toed Eagle	Regular visitor (spring migrant ?)	??
Booted Eagle	No spring records. 1 autumn record.
Marsh Harrier	Regular migrant	??
Hen Harrier	Scarce migrant	??
Pallid Harrier	Regular migrant	??
Montagu's Harrier	Regular migrant	??
Sparrowhawk	Regular migrant	??
Red Kite	No spring records. 1 autumn record.
Black Kite	Scarce migrant	10 April
Eurasian Buzzard	Resident and scarce migrant
Long-legged Buzzard	Rare visitor or migrant (2 records)
Scops Owl	Regular migrant (likely under recorded)	3 April
Eagle Owl	Rare visitor (1 record)
Little Owl	Resident
Long-eared Owl	Rare migrant/visitor (1 record)
Short-eared Owl	Rare migrant (2 records)
Hoopoe	Common migrant	??
Kingfisher	No spring records. 1 autumn record.
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater	Scarce migrant (6 records)	3 April
Bee-eater	Common migrant	30 March
Roller	Scarce migrant	18 April
Wryneck	Common migrant	??
Lesser Kestrel	Regular migrant	??
Kestrel	Common migrant	??
Red-footed Falcon	Regular migrant	16 April
Eleonora's Falcon	Regular migrant / visitor	17 April
Merlin	Rare migrant (1 record)
Hobby	Regular migrant	12 April
Lanner Falcon	Rare migrant / visitor (1 record)
Peregrine	Resident
Golden Oriole	Common migrant	1 April
Red-backed Shrike	Rare migrant (2 records) + arrival in 2023	21 April
Lesser Grey Shrike	Rare migrant (4 records)	10 April
Woodchat Shrike	Common migrant	??
Hooded Crow	Rare visitor (4 records)
Raven	Resident
Sombre Tit	Resident
Great Tit	Resident
Short-toed Lark	Common migrant	??
Lesser Short-toed Lark	Rare migrant (1 record)
Wood Lark	Rare migrant (2 records)
Skylark	Rare migrant (3 records)
Crested Lark	Resident
Fan-tailed Warbler	Resident (sporadic)
Eastern Olivaceous Warb	Regular migrant – may breed	24 Apr
Olive-tree Warbler	Scarce migrant	21 Apr
Icterine Warbler	Common migrant	16 April
Melodious Warbler	Rare migrant (1 record)	29 April
Sedge Warbler	Common migrant	??
Marsh Warbler	Rare migrant (2 records)
Reed Warbler	Regular migrant	1 April
Great Reed Warbler	Common migrant	27 March
River Warbler	Rare migrant (1 record)
Savi's Warbler	Regular migrant	27 March
Sand Martin	Common migrant	??
Crag Martin	Scarce (possibly regular) migrant	??
Barn Swallow	Common migrant	??
Red-rumped Swallow	Common migrant	??
House Martin	Common migrant	??
Wood Warbler	Common migrant	??
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler	Regular migrant	27 March
Western Bonelli's Warb	Rare migrant (1 record)
Willow Warbler	Common migrant	??
Chiffchaff	Common migrant	??
Cetti's Warbler	Scarce visitor - breeds just north of headland
Blackcap	Common migrant	??
Garden Warbler	Common migrant	2 April
Lesser Whitethroat	Scarce migrant	4 April
Eastern Orphean Warbler	Regular migrant	31 March
Rüppell’s Warbler	Common migrant	??
Sardinian Warbler	Resident
Eastern Subalpine Warb	Common migrant	??
Whitethroat	Common migrant	??
Rock Nuthatch	Resident
Wren	No spring records. Autumn visitor.
Rosy Starling	No spring records. 1 autumn record.
Starling	Scarce migrant	??
Song Thrush	Common migrant	??
Blackbird	Resident – no migrants yet recorded
Ring Ouzel	Rare migrant (1 record)
Spotted Flycatcher	Common migrant	4 April
Rufous Bush Robin	Rare migrant (1 record)
Robin	Common migrant	??
Thrush Nightingale	Rare migrant (1 record)
Nightingale	Common migrant	??
Bluethroat	Rare migrant (1 record)
Red-breasted Flycatcher	Rare migrant (3 records)	18 April
Semi-collared Flycatcher	Regular migrant	3 April
Pied Flycatcher	Common migrant	27 March
Collared Flycatcher	Common migrant	28 March
Common Redstart	Common migrant	??
Black Redstart	Common migrant	??
Rock Thrush	Scarce migrant	28 March
Blue Rock-thrush	Resident
Whinchat	Common migrant	26 March
Stonechat	Resident
Northern Wheatear	Common migrant	??
Isabelline Wheatear	Regular migrant	??
Black-eared Wheatear	Common migrant	??
House Sparrow	Resident
Spanish Sparrow	Common migrant	??
Grey Wagtail	No spring records. Autumn migrant.
‘flava’ Wagtail	Common migrant	??
White Wagtail	Regular migrant	??
Richard's Pipit	Rare migrant (3 records)
Tawny Pipit	Common migrant	??
Meadow Pipit	Common migrant	??
Tree Pipit	Common migrant	27 March
Red-throated Pipit	Common migrant	30 March
Chaffinch	Common migrant	??
Hawfinch	Rare migrant (4 records)
Trumpeter Finch	Rare migrant (1 record)
Greenfinch	Common migrant	??
Linnet	Resident & common migrant
Goldfinch	Resident & regular migrant
Serin	Scarce (regular?) migrant	??
Siskin	Rare migrant (1 record)
Black-headed Bunting	Common migrant	21 April
Corn Bunting	Resident
Cirl Bunting	Rare visitor - breeds just north of headland
Ortolan Bunting	Regular migrant	1 April
Cretzschmar's Bunting	Regular migrant	28 March
Little Bunting	Rare migrant (1 record)

Notes:

1.       Definitions of status:

a.       Rare – 5 records or fewer

b.       Scarce – 6 to 15 records

c.       Regular migrant – is seen regularly, not necessarily annual in occurrence

d.       Common migrant – seen most days during the species spring passage period

e.       Visitor – used for species that probably are either wandering from further north on the Mani or are migratory species that breed locally (and where there is no substantive evidence of onward migration) 

Updated – 26th March 2024