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It was recommended that something we might find fascinating are the
Pelicans of Greece. A friend visited that country and was amazed at
these birds and heard the story of "Petros."
"Oh, a wondrous bird is the pelican! The pelicans are indeed famous for their beaks, which they fill with huge gulps of water, strain out the liquid, and eat the remaining fish or squid. |  |
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Three favored sites in Greece: Lake Mikri Prespa, the Amvrakikos Gulf and Lake Kerkini. Lake Prespa, a continental wetland, and the Amvrakikos Gulf, a coastal area with lagoons, are nesting sites. Lake Kerkini on the other hand is a site for summering, wintering and passage birds.
The Dalmatian Pelican is the rarest of the world's seven pelican species and the second biggest bird species on the planet.
Today, 13% of the couples of Dalmatian Pelicans in the world occur in two Greek regions: the lake of Mikri Prespa in the department of Florina and the lagoons of Amvrakikos Bay. |
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About 40 years ago a local fisherman found an injured pelican, nursed him back to health and then set him free. Instead of flying off, the bird decided to stay. Mykonians named him Petros (Peter) and made him the mascot of Mykonos. Petros became so famous that all of Greece was saddened when he died in 1986.
Jackie Kennedy donated another pelican, named Irene-Irini, and the Hamburg Zoo sent a pelican named Petros. A few year ago, another wounded young pelican fell to the island and was cared for by the local people. This one was named Nikolas. Now, with three friendly pelicans walking about the waterfront, a visitor can usually spot at least one of them. | 
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