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The Greek Islands: Kos

Kos island (Dodecanese)

egretflamingos on KosThe lovely pine and cypress forest below Mt Dhikeos (846 meters or 2775 feet) roughly in the center of this second largest Dodecanese island, is rich in birds of prey, along with other birds, with Bonelli's eagles, peregrine, common and lesser kestrels, and long legged buzzards breeding here.

There are also good wetlands on the north coast of the island to the west of Tingaki with two lakes, saltmarsh, reed beds, lagoons, and garrigue., where wetland species breed, and greater flamingos (left) overwinter; there are several birds of prey, and periods of passage are especially interesting here, though the entire island sees some of this action. Plantlife is not outstanding, though there are a variety of orchids, some special flowers, and a local special of oak found only in the east Aegean and the nearby Turkish coast. There are also some interesting reptiles.