THE BIRDS OF EVROS DELTA

1. Read the texts and choose the best title for each of them.

In Evros Delta, 317 species of birds have been recorded; a number which is continually increasing, as
monitoring becomes more intense and birdwatchers from all over the world visit the area more often.
The Delta lies in northern Greece, a crossroad between three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa. Thus,
species of all three continents are observed here. Birds find in Evros Delta the two most important things
they need: food and shelter. Evros Delta is a very important ring in the chain of wetlands which birds use as
they migrate from Africa to Europe and reversely, and also as they move looking for food and shelter.

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In winter, Evros Delta shelters thousands of birds which have come here from the north to spend the cold
season in milder climate. Thousands of ducks are observed that time, swans are observed, geese are feeding
during the whole day; At the same time of the year, hundreds of Flamingos are observed in salt water areas,
Great White Egrets and Grey Herons in all watery areas. Winter is the season with the most species of
raptors in the Delta. Tens of eagles and smaller raptors are flying around or standing on a tree.

In spring, Evros Delta hosts large populations of birds which move from Africa to Europe. During this trip,
they stop in the Delta to rest and feed. Species observed during the spring migration are the White Stork, the
Black Stork, the White and Dalmatian Pelican.

Evros Delta is one of the most important areas in Greece and Europe for the survival of many species, some
of which are rare or threatened. Evros Delta is the most important place in Greece for the three species of
European Swans (Mute, Whooper and Bewicks). So it is also for Geese. In the wet meadows, thousands of
White-fronted Geese are observed in winter, together with hundreds of Red-breasted Geese.

a. Rare bird species

b. Migration
c. Wintering
d. The birds of Evros Delta

2. Match the two columns to get the right idiom (is a combination of words in common use, that have a
figurative meaning)
a. as easy as duck soup

1. completely free

b. as proud as a peacock

2. very foolish, very silly

c. as silly as a goose

3. very easy, needs no effort

d. as free as a bird

4. very proud

e. bird-eye view

5. very wise

f. birds of a feather flock together

6. a silly story that is not true

g. cock and - bull story

7. people who are similar become friends

h. as wise as an owl

8. a general view from above

i. the early bird catches the worm

9. something is learned from a secret or

mysterious source

j. eat like a bird

10. to go to bed very early

k. go to bed with the chickens

11. to eat very little

l. a little bird told me

12. a person who gets up early in the morning

has the best chance of success

10

11

12

3 . Use five of the idioms you liked best in a sentence of your own.

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