Flamingo colony nests on Tuzla Estuaries in Ukraine’s first

For the first time in Ukraine, a colony of 570 adult flamingos nested in the Tuzla Estuaries, with 192 hatched in the area.

This was reported by the National Natural Park chief, Dr Ivan Rusev, Ukrinform saw.

“Amid the ongoing war this summer, a miracle is unfolding in the Tuzla Estuaries National Nature Park. For the first time in Ukraine, 570 adult flamingos (coming from the Latin "flamma" - flame) decided to live from spring to autumn in the Tuzla Estuaries and raise their younglings. At the end of June 2023, they nested in a very interesting place of the national park – on the border of the large Tuzla Estuaries of Shahana and Alibey. And so, over the weekend, we, the staff of the national park and its friends, managed to hold an event for ringing the chicks. The Ukrainian Bird Protection Society and the Ukrainian Bird Ringing Center helped us to this end. This is a great success - the Tuzla flamingos raised 192 chicks amid the war," says Ivan Rusev's posting on social media.

Adult birds include those with rings from France, Turkey, and Spain.

He specified that earlier, in 2017, the birds tried to form a colony for the first time in Ukraine’s Kherson region on Lake Churiuk not far from Crimea, but only three chicks were hatched and their fate is unknown.

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For the first time, scout birds appeared in a large flock in 2021. And this year, more than 190 chicks were hatched.

"We hope that after our Victory, many Ukrainians will be able to visit the national park and see the miracle of nature – pink flamingos. And for the patriots of Ukraine, I can say in secret that we were preparing combat flamingos so that they would join the Victory," Rusev jokes.

The Tuzla Estuaries National Natural Park is a conservation area in Odesa region. It is located in the basin of estuaries of the Tuzla group. It was created on January 1, 2010 by the Decree of President Viktor Yushchenko. The park includes a research center where the flora and fauna of the region are studied. More than 700 species of plants are studied by botanists, and more than 260 species of birds are researched by ornithologists. There are also specialists who study amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects, etc.