293 Acrocephalus 33 (154/155): 293-295, 2012 A preliminary overview of monitoring for raptors in Greece Predhodni pregled monitoringa populacij ptic roparic v Grčiji Dimitris E. Bakaloudis School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of hessaloniki, P.O. Box 241, University campus, GR–541 24 hessaloniki, Greece e–mail: debakaloudis@for.auth.gr One of the fundamental concerns in raptors’ conservation is the monitoring of their populations (Andersen 2007). A long-term monitoring of raptor populations can help to identify early threats either concerning the birds or their habitats, and thereby is a useful tool for establishing adequate conservation measures (Witmer 2005). In most ornithological advanced countries, monitoring programmes have started during the last few decades. On the other hand, although many scientists and ornithologists have appeared in Greece during the last two decades, there is no comprehensive scheme for monitoring the populations of birds of prey as yet. Greece, due to its position among three continents and due to its variable climate, which in turn afects the vegetation and habitats, supports diverse raptor communities. From a total of 442 birds that occurred in the country, 38 (8.6%) species are diurnal raptors of which 24 (63.2%) breed here (Handrinos 2009). In addition, eight out of nine owls breed in the country. Both in the mainland and on the islands, 4 vultures, 6 eagles, 3 buzzards, 3 hawks, 1 kite, 1 harrier and 6 falcons breed as well. However, except for the Black Vulture Aegypius monachus in Dadia forest in north- eastern Greece and for the Grifon Vulture Gyps fulvus and the Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus in Crete, there is no other long-term national monitoring programme in progress in the country. he aim of this study was to present briely an overview of monitoring for raptors in Greece. Main players he main actors in monitoring raptors’ population and distribution in Greece are the Universities, mainly the Aristotle University of hessaloniki in northern Greece, the University of Patras in Peloponnesus, and the Natural History Museum of Crete University in southern Greece. Furthermore, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are activated in monitoring programmes, mainly under LIFE projects, and in a few cases the Forestry Service has collaborated in these projects. Recently, the authorities of the 27 National Parks are also responsible in monitoring all biotic (including raptors) and abiotic features within their areas. Unfortunately, only in a few occasions foreign ornithologists have collaborated in monitoring programmes. hese ornithologists originated from Spain, Austria, Germany, England and Belgium, and most of these scientists were volunteers working during the data collection. he data collected from those projects were used by the ornithologists either for publications in scientiic journals or for formulating conservation recommendations to the Greek government. National coverage Information concerning raptor population across the country is limited for a few regions and only for speciic periods of time. he irst monitoring programme started during the end of the 1980s in Dadia forest (north-eastern Greece), concentrating on the Black Vulture population recovery after the establishment of the irst feeding station (Vlachos et al. 1999). Today, the authority of the National Park with the help of the WWF Greece is continuing the moni- toring programme (Poirazidis 2003, Poirazidis et al. 2011). Another monitoring project for the Grifon vulture and the Lammergeier in Crete has been run by the Natural History Museum of Crete University since the mid-1990s (ongoing; Xirouchakis & Nikolakakis 2002). he Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae monitoring project was carried in Dionysades island complex in Crete by Dr D. Ristow and Prof M. Wink (Heidelberg University) from 1965 to 2001 (e.g. Ristow et al. 1989). In addition, two monitoring projects were carried out in the country (for the Lesser Kestrel F. naumanni during 2001–2002, and for the Eleonora’s Falcon during 2005–2006); both were realized in a short period of time. However, there is no national integrated monitoring programme for raptors in Greece. Monitoring of migrating raptors was established at several sites (e.g. Antikythira Island, Mount Olympus, etc.) in the last few years with the help of Italian ornithologists (Lucia et al. 2011, Panuccio et al. 2012). After the irst meeting of ornithologists that took place in Aegina Island in 2002, a web-based network has been established in order to exchange information among scientists, concerning mainly the vultures’ population, distribution, and threats.