“At long last – but will it last?” If contained enthusiasm was ever put into words, this is what it would probably sound like here at BirdLife Cyprus. We say ‘enthusiasm’ because after years and years of hard work campaigning, lobbying, surveying, educating, we saw bird trapping levels drop to an almost all-time low this past autumn. But we also say ‘contained’ because the beast is nowhere near knocked-out yet.

Spring is in full swing! Birds are boasting their strength and vitality to potential mates through songs and brightly-coloured plumages, while flowers and trees are blooming and their sweet scent travels in the air… And there is a prominent bright yellow colour surrounding us this time of year, that of daisies, mustard flowers and …acacias!

Cape Greco is not only the most spectacular area of the east coast of Cyprus, it is also known for its rich biodiversity as it is home to unique flora and fauna species. Despite its beauty and ecological value however, the area faces a number of serious threats.

The BirdLife Cyprus documentary ‘Wings on the Wind’ is now available online for all to enjoy and learn about the birds of our island, after a series of successful screening events in Cyprus and abroad since its premiere in April 2017!

On 18 March 2018, we held our Annual General Meeting for 2018 which took place at the Akrotiri Environmental Education Centre. 

The future of our countryside is up for debate in Brussels right now, with BirdLife leading the calls for a sustainable and wildlife-friendly EU farming policy. 

A striking reduction in bird trapping was achieved in Cyprus in autumn 2017, thanks to effective enforcement, combined with newly deterrent sentencing and operations targeting trapping areas.

The Sea Caves area in Peyia, one of the most spectacular natural formations of the island, a habitat to the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus and also an important area for migratory bird species, is now under serious threat. 

It’s always disheartening to see birds fall victims to wildlife crime, especially when these are birds of prey, born to reign the skies.

With nature coming into bloom and spring migration underway, we change scenery for the last workshop within the framework of our creative mapping competition ‘Wild for nature’ by BirdLife Cyprus.  Within the framework of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, BirdLife Cyprus in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities is holding a creative mapping workshop on Sunday 11 March 2018 at 9:30 am at the Archaeological Site of Kato Paphos, showing how interconnected our cultural and natural heritage are.