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Site description (2012 baseline):
Site location and context
This is an extensive upland site on the Eastern end of the Troodos range, with varied landscapesand elevation ranging from just below 400m toover 1,400m at Tzionia peak. This site hosts important breeding populations of characteristic species of the open pine Troodos range forests, in particular European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Masked Shrike (Lanius nubicus), Cyprus Coal Tit (Parus ater cypriotes) and Cretzschmar’s Bunting (Emberiza caesia). The site
also has large enough breeding populations of the two endemics, Cyprus Wheatear (Oenanthe cypriaca) and Cyprus Warbler (Sylvia melanothorax), to qualify as an Endemic Bird Area. Significant numbers of Cyprus Scops Owls (Otus scops cyprius) and Black-headed Buntings (Emberiza melanocephala) complete the picture of qualifying species at this rich site, which also hosts the endemic sub-species Cyprus Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla dorothea) (though not common) and Cyprus Jay (Garrulus glandarius glaszneri). This area is also among the few in Cyprus to have breeding Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) and Blackbirds (Turdus merula).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mahairas Forest - Tzionia (Cyprus). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mahairas-forest--tzionia-iba-cyprus on 23/11/2024.
