Migratory birds battered by strong winds in Greece

Strong winds this week and low temperatures earlier this week caused the death of thousands of migratory birds including swallows and swifts passing through Greece on their way from Africa to Europe, Agence-France Presse (AFP) reported on Thursday.

"It's a major disaster," Maria Ganoti of the wildlife protection group Anima told the AFP.

"The night of April 5-6 was disastrous for migrating birds due to strong winds, low temperatures and rain in some regions. Southerly winds pushed flocks of birds from north Africa into air currents from the north of the Aegean Sea and particularly the islands. To escape, exhausted birds, mainly swallows and swifts, which catch flying insects for food, headed for the Greek mainland," she told the agency.

According to the AFP dead birds have been spotted in Athens, on several islands in the Aegean and in Nafplio in the...