Animals in Cyprus
Mouflon
Ovis gmelini
The mouflon is a wild sheep that works as a strong animal symbol for Cyprus. It lives mainly in mountain slopes and deep valleys in the interior and appears on coins stamps and signs in protected areas. For many residents it links village life old farming traditions and the quiet forest hills that still cover part of the island.
View details→Wildlife in Cyprus
Cyprus is an island where wildlife is shaped by dry hills small forests and long coasts. Visitors usually meet nature on coastal paths short walks near villages and boat trips from beach towns. Sea turtles dolphins and many birds can be seen from simple viewpoints and small harbours without leaving the main tourist areas of the island.
Most Dangerous Animals in Cyprus
Risk for visitors in Cyprus appears mainly in quiet rural areas and open sea. Wild boar live in fields and forested slopes and can cause trouble if they feel surrounded. In the water, there are no dangerous sharks near the beaches, and dolphins keep their distance. On normal tourist routes encounters are uncommon and almost always at a distance.
Top 10 Animals in Cyprus
The top 10 list for Cyprus highlights fast birds of prey and large sharks. The peregrine falcon uses cliffs and coastal hills during migration and is often seen from viewpoints or simple hiking routes above the sea. Along the coast, bottlenose dolphins are often seen from boat trips, and loggerhead and green turtles nest on the beaches of the Akamas peninsula.
Mouflon
Ovis gmelini
Cyprus is home to one of the most vulnerable mouflon populations in the world. Known locally as the agrino, this distinct population is largely confined to the Paphos Forest in the Troodos Mountains. Only a few hundred individuals survive today. The species has been protected in Cyprus since the 1930s, and a national park was established to safeguard its habitat. It remains a powerful symbol of the island's natural heritage.
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
On Cyprus, the red fox is widespread across the island, including the pine and cedar forests of the Troodos Mountains and the drier lowland scrub. It is one of the few large wild predators on the island and plays an important role in controlling rodent populations. Though sometimes in conflict with farmers over poultry, it is not threatened. The species holds Least Concern status on the island.
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
Wild boars have a long, unusual history on Cyprus, where people first brought them to the island during the Neolithic period more than ten thousand years ago, making it one of the earliest known sites of pig domestication. The original population later disappeared, and a twentieth century attempt to reintroduce wild boar to forests such as Troodos largely failed to establish a lasting wild population. Today, confirmed sightings on the island remain rare.
Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Cyprus is one of the two main nesting countries for green turtles in the Mediterranean, together with Turkey. They nest on beaches in the north, such as Alagadi, and in the west, at Lara and Toxeftra on the Akamas Peninsula, where nests have been protected since the 1970s and the population has grown. Satellite tracking shows that many Cypriot green turtles migrate to feed off Egypt and Libya. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Chameleon
Chamaeleonidae
Cyprus holds one of the most important chameleon populations in the eastern Mediterranean. The common chameleon lives across the island's dry scrub, citrus orchards, vineyards and coastal dunes, and is especially easy to find in late summer and autumn. It is protected by law in Cyprus, though road traffic and illegal collection remain concerns. Its color shifts follow mood and temperature. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
Cyprus has only a small population of griffon vultures, which has been reinforced with birds brought from abroad after poisoned baits pushed it close to extinction. The griffons nest on sea and inland cliffs and soar over the island's rugged hills. In 2026, pairs nested again after five years without any breeding, a small but important step for the island's vultures. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
Cyprus is a recorded stopover point for saker falcons during migration between their Eurasian breeding grounds and their African or Middle Eastern wintering areas. The island's position in the eastern Mediterranean places it directly on important migratory routes. Illegal trapping of birds of prey on Cyprus has been a documented problem, adding pressure to an already Endangered species according to the IUCN.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is a resident of Cyprus in open farmland, scrubland, and rural areas across the island. It nests in old stone buildings, churches, cliff faces, and hollow trees, and hunts rodents at night with exceptional precision. The species is found from the coastal plains to the lower slopes of the Troodos Mountains. In Cyprus it has traditionally been associated with rural life and is welcomed by farmers as an effective and natural means of controlling mice and rats.
Crane
Grus grus
Cyprus sits along an important flyway for common cranes migrating between Europe and Africa. Flocks pass over the island each autumn and spring, sometimes stopping to rest in wetlands and agricultural fields. The Akrotiri salt lake has historically attracted waterbirds during these movements. At up to 120 centimeters tall, cranes are among the most impressive birds seen over the island. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Cyprus lies on an important migration corridor for the white stork, and the species is regularly seen crossing the island each spring and autumn on its way between Europe and Africa. Flocks sometimes stop to rest and feed in agricultural areas and wetlands such as the Akrotiri Salt Lake. The stork does not breed on the island but can appear in impressive numbers during peak migration periods. It feeds on frogs, insects, and small animals. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
Cyprus is an important stopover point for white wagtails migrating between Europe and Africa, and the island also hosts wintering birds from October through March. They gather around reservoirs, wetlands and farmland, with Akrotiri Salt Lake and the Athalassa wetlands being particularly good sites. A small number may breed on the island. Its lively tail movement makes it easy to watch. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
The peregrine falcon is a regular passage migrant and winter visitor in Cyprus, taking advantage of the island's location in the eastern Mediterranean as a stopover point between Europe and Africa. Small numbers have also bred on the rocky cliffs of the Troodos mountains and the Akamas Peninsula. During migration periods, falcons can be seen hunting over open farmland and coastal wetlands across the island.
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
On Cyprus, the mute swan is an uncommon visitor, recorded mainly at coastal wetlands and reservoirs such as Akrotiri Salt Lake and Larnaca Salt Lake, which are key stopover sites for migratory waterbirds in the eastern Mediterranean. The island lies along important migration routes between Europe and Africa, and the species appears here mainly during autumn and winter. It does not breed on the island. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Cyprus is an important stopover point for nightingales migrating between Africa and Europe, and some birds also breed on the island. They favor the dense scrub and carob woodland found in the foothills and river valleys away from the dry coastal plains. The island's position at the eastern end of the Mediterranean makes it a significant rest point during the long journey north each spring. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
In Cyprus, the greater flamingo is a winter highlight. Thousands gather each year on the island's salt lakes, especially Larnaca Salt Lake, right next to the airport, and Akrotiri Salt Lake near Limassol, where they feed on tiny brine shrimp in the shallow water. Numbers depend on rainfall, and in dry years the lakes can shrink and the birds move on. Flocks usually arrive in autumn and leave in spring. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica
In Cyprus, the Eurasian magpie is a common resident across the island, from farmland and orchards in the lowlands to the valleys of the Troodos mountains, and it is a familiar bird in towns and villages. It lives alongside the hooded crow and the jackdaw, its corvid cousins. It builds its domed nest in trees such as pines and carobs and stays all year, eating almost anything. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Bottlenose dolphins are the dolphins most often seen around Cyprus, in the coastal waters of the eastern Mediterranean. Boat trips from Protaras, Ayia Napa, Paphos and the Akamas peninsula find them regularly, and they often feed near fish farms. They are one of the few dolphins that still live close to shore in this part of the sea. The Mediterranean population is Vulnerable. IUCN status: Least Concern (Mediterranean population: Vulnerable).
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .