The Kerkini Lake is located in the northern part of Greece, close to the border with Bulgaria, and belongs to a large protected area, mainly formed by wetlands. One of the iconic wildlife is the water buffalo but mainly the avifauna is awesome. The lake is covered by the Ramsar Convention and is listed as an important bird area and Special Protection area.

More than 300 species of birds have been sighted, with more than 140 settle the lake home and another 170 coming here to reproduce or stopping over on migratory routes to the rest of Europe. Endangered species that breed here include the Dalmatian Pelican and pygmy cormorant.
This artificially created freshwater lake is surrounded by two beautiful mountains, Mount Kerkini and Mavrovouni, providing nesting grounds for the eagles, falcons and owls that forage in the area.

It is especially renowned as one of the European’s most important wintering bird sites and rightly for the threatened Dalmatian Pelican. Lake Kerkini is a paradise on land for bird photographers. Usually a flock of pelicans slides to a halt on the glassy surface of the water, coming so close that we do not need prior experience or sophisticated telephoto lenses to take fabulous pictures.
At first you are interested simply in getting the shot and getting up close. As you acquire experience you want to pull back to give the bird space to move freely. You must not put pressure to get beautiful images, when your target animal continues doing what it would do if you weren’t there.
Bird watching requires time and it is connected with travel and making friends; that’s why the majority of birdwatchers are very passionate.

The Kerkini Lake’s history is a case study in how sustainable development can shift mind-sets. We’ll meet hunters who packed away their guns and became protectors of the birds and volunteers arrived from all over Greece to work here through environmentally friendly projects, such as creating artificial platforms to help the pelicans reproduce.