The Late Miocene avian record of Greece is rather poor. Three Late Miocene Greek localities have yielded palaeoavian remains until now: Pikermi, Samos and Perivolaki. In the present paper we describe some additional specimens from Pikermi (Attica), as well as some from the Late Miocene localities of Chomateri (Attica) and Kerassiá-4 (Euboea).
Among the aforementioned localities, the classical Pikermi locality is the most diverse taxonomically and has yielded the greatest number of specimens. However, the precise systematic position of some Pikermi avian taxa needs to be further explored. For example, Mlíkovský in 1996 reported seven different genera, while in 2002 he recognized five species belonging to five genera. Boev and Koufos recognized six species distributed in five genera. Struthio karatheodoris and Ciconia gaudryi are generally accepted to be present in Pikermi, even if the Pikermi struthioniform is sometimes assigned to the oospecies Struthio chersonensis. Grus pentelici is also an accepted name for the Pikermi gruiform, even though it is sometimes referred to the poorly defined Pliogrus. Most problems concern the taxonomic status of the galliforms. Gaudry (1862-67) recognized two size groups of galliforms, and referred the smaller specimens to Gallus aesculapii and the larger to Phasianus ? archiaci. Gallus aesculapii was included to Pavo by Jánossy and was followed by Boev and Boev and Koufos. Mlíkovský combined G. aesculapii and Phasianus archiaci, introducing the name Pavo archiaci adopted also by Boev and Koufos. The latter, also reported the presence of Pavo bravardi in Pikermi. Finally, Mlíkovský and Boev and Koufos also reported Phoenicopterus sp. in Pikermi.
The new specimens described herein are tentatively assigned to five species. The species recognized in Pikermi include Struthio karatheodoris (lateral tarsometatarsal trochlea), Grus pentelici (proximal humerus, two distal ulnae), Pavo archiaci (proximal femur, distal tibiotarsus), Pavo sp. (distal humerus), and Gyps sp. (distal ulna). Within the Pikermi findings, Pavo sp. is much larger than P. archiaci, approaching the size of P. bravardi. The recognized Chomateri palaeoavian remains are assigned to Pavo archiaci (proximal humerus, distal humerus). Finally Kerassiá-4 has yielded a tibiotarsus assigned to Pavo archiaci.
Extant representatives of Struthio are adapted to open environments and a similar ecological adaptation can be inferred for Struthio karatheodoris. The presence of Gyps sp. in Pikermi is important, as scavenging bird finds are relatively rare. Paleoecologically, an open environment is further supported since vultures depend on a large supply of carcasses, a condition met primarily in such environments. Grus pentelici, being a wading bird, requires the presence of bodies of water. Extant Pavo species live in open forests, often along watercourses, conditions that would have been preferred by the Pavo species found in Pikermi, Chomateri and Kerassiá-4.