Twenty six new bone finds of 4 individuals (2 adult and 2 juvenile) have been described and referred to the Late Pliocene kestrel Falco bakalovi Boev, 1999. They came from the species type locality near the town of Varshets (northwest Bulgaria) and demonstrate specific distinguishing from all known falcons of the “tinnunculus” group. They enrich the bone morphology of that falcon covering a large variety of 16 different skeletal elements.

Since 1987 120 taxa more than vertebrates (51 species of birds) were established in the Middle Villafranchian (MN17 zone) site near Varshets (430 13'N, 23°17'E). The site is type-locality of Lagopus balcanicus Boev, 1995 and provides the second record of Apus baranensis Janossy 1977. Chauvireria balcanica is described by 1160 bone finds (MNI = 49) – over 85 % of the total amount of the collected avian material. Diagnosis: A small phasianid of Perdicinae subfamily with almost parallel os matacarpalis majus and os m. minus, sharper and smaller processus pisiformis, more erected processus extensorius, narrower spatium intermetacarpalis, well developed processus intermetacarpalis, which reaches os metacarpalis minus and which cranial edge forms an almost right angle. Osteometrically Chauvireria balcanicll was of the same size as recent Ammoperdix griseogularis and A. heyi. The means of the total lengths (in mm) of some long bones are: coracoid – 27,2 (n=14); humerus – 40,4 (n=9); ulna – 36,8 (n=8); radius – 33,4 (n=4); carpometacarpus – 21,8 (n=27), and tarsometatarsus – 28,4 (n=6). Palaeocryptonyx donnezani from West Europe is taxonomically the closest Galliform to Chauvireria balcanica.

The avian finds of the first in Bulgaria complexly studied (1983-1985) palaeontological site of vertebrate fauna are described. Three finds (distal endings of long bones of the legs) originated from the Early Pliocene (Ruscinian, MN zone 14, 5.4 - 3.4 Ma). Taxonomically, they are referred to 3 families of Anseriformes and Galliformes: Balcanas pliocaenica g. n. et sp. n. - humerus sin.; Tetrao rhodopensis sp. n. - humerus sin. dist. and Perdicinae gen. indet. - tibiotarsus sin. dist. Diagnosis of Balcanas pliocaenica g. n. et sp. n.: A medium sized anatid of Anatini tribe with narrower and more transverally orientated fossa m. brachialis, obliquely outlined toward diaphysis medial edge of epicondylus ulnaris in ventral view, better developed fossa olecrani and shallower and unclear outlining of epicondylus radialis from condylus radialis, than both, in Anas and Aix, more laterally located and more clearly marked fossula ligamenti articulationis on the epicondylus radialis. Diagnosis of Tetrao rhodopensis sp. n.: The oldest known Tetrao species, differing from other species of the genus by its more longitudinal orientation, parallel to the diaphysys, and its distally flatten condylus dorsalis.

The bird fauna of the Loutra Almopias Cave comprised eight orders, 22 families, 41 genera and at least 47 species (68 different taxa) established based on 551 avian bone finds. The Loutra Almopias Cave is a new (26th) Pleistocene avian locality in Greece. About 92.5% of the material was dated to the Earliest Holocene (11.230 ± 110 y. BP), coming from the upper chamber of the cave, whereas an older assemblage was dated to the Late Pleistocene (37,880 y. ± 370/360 BP), coming from the floor chambers of the cave. Here is provided the first fossil record of 13 species in Greece (Buteo lagopus, Francolinus francolinus, Lagopus lagopus, Bonasa bonasia, Dryocopus martius, Lulula arborea, Bombicylla garrulus, Cinclus cinclus, Sylvia borin, Carduelis carduelis, Loxia curvirostra, Plectrophenax nivalis, and Emberiza cirlus). Three genera (Francolinus, Anthus and Riparia/Ptyonoprogne) were established for the first time in Pleistocene deposits in the country. The record of Fr. francolinus was the first one for the Balkans and Eastern Europe. At both sites inside the cave, regardless of their different age, the habitat preferences of the identified bird species indicated that the surrounding paleoenvironment included both grassy openlands (dominated by gramineans) and woodland (coniferous or mixed woods). In addition, rocky habitats were represented in the surroundings of the locality. The presence of small species of Perdicinae (26%) and corvids (34%) indicated the former existence and prevelance of open grassy fields and rocky environments. The Alpine chough was the most abundant species at both localities. In the Earliest Holocene it comprised 29.5%, whereas in the Late Pleistocene it reached 25.6% of the material. Such a representation suggests a natural non-human accumulation of the material, probably due to the feeding behavior of Bubo bubo. The Late Pleistocene record (19 taxa; 41 finds) included Falco sp. cf. F. peregrinus, Perdix perdix, Perdix sp., Alectoris graeca, Alectoris sp., Lagopus cf. lagopus, cf. Bonasa bonasia, Columba livia, Columba palumbus, Bubo bubo, Melanocorhypha calandra, Anthus sp., Turdus sp., Pica pica, Pyrrhocorax graculus, Loxia curvirostra, Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Fringillidae gen. indet., non-Passeriformes indet. and also suggests the site has been used by the eagle owl. The climate probably used to be drier and cooler than in the Earliest Holocene. The record of 17 woodland species from the Earliest Holocene that were absent in the Late Pleistocene could be explained by the more humid and moderate climate at the very end of the Pleistocene.

Two pedal phalanges (ph. 1 dig. 3 sin. and ph. 3 dig. 3 dex.) are referred to Otis hellenica sp. nov., larger than the recent Otis tarda with estimated body weight of ca. 19 kg. Kryopigi is a new, the sixth avian Neogene locality of Greece. The finds represent the first Neogene record of bustards in the country and their first Miocene record on the Balkan Peninsula.