A practical guide to moving, living, working & traveling in Greece, plus tips and narratives from an American in Athens
April 13, 2008 at 22:07
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Photo from www.rios-galegos.com
Our proximity to the mountains and trees, when they’re not on fire every summer, makes it possible to breathe clean air despite the main road nearby and enjoy sounds reminiscent of a village. I await nightfall and the sound of the nightbird.
I came to know the nightbird’s call when I lived in a village outside Olympia. The first lesson I got — delivered calmly, as if to explain drinking a glass of water — was how to handle a snake when (not if) one falls on me in the garden. Not easily frightened but not a lover of snakes either, I paid close attention and tried to stay away from all trees and arches with growing vines. A half hour later, a snake fell on my boyfriend’s father; he beat it with a stick and paraded the limp trophy around before throwing it in the trash.
Later, I had the chance to view a tzitziki (cicada) from up close after my boyfriend scouted an unsuspecting target on a tree, pounced like a panther and caught it gently between his fingers. “No kill,” he said. After being deafened many a times in summer, I was surprised to see such a small bug — and a rather adorable gray spotted one, at that. Observation complete, he was free to go.
After sundown, there was a distinctive ‘birp’ noise in the distance, which could be heard at consistent intervals and sounded solitary. “What kind of bird is that, and is it calling for another bird?” I asked.
“It’s the nightbird. Maybe he’s calling for a mate,” said my companions. “Sorry, I don’t know the English word.”
Night after night, this nightbird called out, only to hear nothing in return. And yet, his call never weakened or ceased. It was many weeks later when one ‘birp’ was finally answered by a higher pitched ‘birp,’ going back and forth for hours, until silence fell into darkness. We assumed it was a happy ending.
For the past month, that cute little ‘birp’ has come back to make me smile. Thanks to Spyro, who is a birding expert, I now know this is a Otus scops (Scops owl) and what it looks like, but I still like to call him the nightbird.
No matter what chaos I experience during the day, I can come home at night and listen to the persistent, simple and sweet ‘birp’ of the nightbird, reminding me that some things change a lot, but others remain happily the same.
*Sadly, I moved away from this area and can no longer hear him calling. Miss you, birdy.
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Peter wrote @ April 13th, 2008 at 22:55
Is the bird known as a “nychterini”?
FMS wrote @ April 13th, 2008 at 23:16
The tzitziki is also known as Yoghurt with garlic and cucumber! [We xenoi find great amusement in what seem like similar names]
Maria wrote @ April 14th, 2008 at 00:16
Thanks for the Gionis sound! Made me feel a little happier and a little homesick…
Maria
Cheryl wrote @ April 14th, 2008 at 01:00
That’s really a great bird-what a dreamy “birp”. It’s much better than the screech owl that sits outside of my room and scares my daughter. Want to trade?
FMS wrote @ April 14th, 2008 at 01:10
The tzitziki noise is less nice, although it is the ring tone of my Greek mobile [called cicada on the menu].
I have also encountered this nyxterini name [and call] and I told Greek friends that it was an owl, so I suppose it is a popular name for the Gionis. Perhaps it is another species of owl, though.
rositta wrote @ April 14th, 2008 at 02:37
Sounds a little like the owls we hear up at our cabin, quite soothing…ciao
The tzitziki is also called “Tzitzika” “gee-gee-ka”.
Martin wrote @ April 14th, 2008 at 12:01
It’s all Turkish to me.
spyros wrote @ April 14th, 2008 at 13:18
About bird names in Greek: ”Owls” are called “κουκουβάγιες” (or “γλαύκες” in ancient Greek-καθαρεύουσα).
The 3 most common species of Owls in Greek are:
1. Scops Owl (Otus scops): Γκιώνης
2.Little Owl (Aethene noctua): Κουκουβάγια. The bird that represents goddess Athena and the city of Athens, which is also the bird in the 1 euro greek coin!
3. Tawny Owl (Stix aluco): Χουχουριστής (because of the characteristic call whoo-whoo)
It’s a lovely sound.
melusina wrote @ April 14th, 2008 at 19:21
Dag nabit, it isn’t loading for me (nothing on YouTube is at the moment)! And I loves me some birdy noises. I have yet to see an owl here, they were my favorites back home.
Is that cicada like Southern U.S. cicadas? I can’t really tell from the picture. The kind that leave their shells behind on the trees?
melusina wrote @ April 14th, 2008 at 19:24
Finally! How sweet sounding, and a little forlorn. Here’s hoping it was a happy ending.
Laurie wrote @ April 15th, 2008 at 11:26
Hey Kat – love the owl sounds. Also your story, which brought back some funny memories. We once spent a year in a village house that had a bunch of almond trees in the avli (and yes, I did see snakes drop out of those trees). One day, we heard a cacaphony of bird sounds, frantic, wild bird sounds coming from one of the almond trees. The sounds kept getting louder, so we went to look. A snake was up in the tree, and was surrounded by the screeching birds. More birds kept arriving in the tree until the snake finally fell out of the tree and slithered away. Bird power in action.
Stathis wrote @ April 15th, 2008 at 13:08
I know exactly what you mean as I was raised in a village 4 km away from the city of Veria! Especially the concert of the tzitzikia in the summer brings back memories!!!!
As for the owls, when i did my military service in the Forest of Dadia in Evros, I saw a Eagle-owl(Μπούφο!) at 3 metres! It was very impressive!!!
Kisses
Lovely post, with a “birp” that made me smile. I like the (relatively?) new photo at the top of your blog too – it all looks very very cool.
photene wrote @ April 17th, 2008 at 14:58
Sweet sound – can’t wait to get back this summer.
thundera wrote @ April 18th, 2008 at 10:45
Hi Kat 
my old grandma use to tell me when i was a child…Do you hear Gionis? There is a legend about this bird and it has a greek name. You can usually hear this bird on summer and especially in the villages. If i remember right the legend says that there were 2 brothers that they had a great bond between them,One (gionis – γκιόνης) was lost and the other was searching for him calling his name every night. and in order for the legend to survive…he became a bird calling him throughout the years…
thundera wrote @ April 18th, 2008 at 18:13
yes its true…now that you said it i remember the ad . Well if you are brought up in a big city most possibly you don’t know this legend, but if you were lucky enough to stay with your grandparents in a village you most certainly know it
Something else : we bought a Wii with graf we expect both of u to come to play for fun
K wrote @ April 28th, 2008 at 17:48
Aisopus actually wrote a myth about the tzitziki and the ant.How the tzitziki sang happy all summer long without working while the ant only worked to bring food home.Then came the winter and the tzitziki froze,had nowhere to go and died due to lack of food while the ant passed the time in his comfortable home in the ground eating what had collected during summer.
Actually a lot of Greeks identify in this tale with the tzitziki and hate the ant.Everyone would prefer to sing artistically all summer long instead of working hard.So the tzitziki is pretty popular in greek culture.
FMS wrote @ April 29th, 2008 at 17:19
Ants are extremely well-organised, very hard-working, and don’t make any noise. Yes, I can see why Greeks cannot identify with them in any way!
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Kat Reply:
April 13th, 2008 at 23:28
P – In Greek, it’s known as Γκιώνης or gionis. That’s a good question. I’ll ask Spyro or he may show up and answer himself.