Flamingos Leave Nest Due to Noisy Vacationers

Unique pink flamingos, which have chosen the territory of the National Nature Park “Tuzly Estuaries” for nesting, were forced to leave their selected spot due to noisy vacationers. This was reported by park employee Ivan Rusev.

According to the ecologist, the flamingos, upon returning in April from their wintering grounds, chose what seemed to be a safe location on the sandy isthmus between the Budura and Shagany estuaries. However, Rusev noted that nearby is an old recreational area frequented by locals. He reported that recently, despite the sounds of war, the flamingos had held onto their spot for some time, but after a local gathering he described as a “boozy ‘greenday’”, the birds left their chosen area. They are now wandering the Tuzly Estuaries in search of a more secure refuge. Rusev added that efforts are being made to identify violators of the national park's protection regime and to prepare a reliable and mobile guard point for flamingo nesting colonies for the year 2025.

The park's director, Irina Vykhrystiuk, confirmed that flamingos are very sensitive to disturbances. While during the state of war the main disturbances are shelling and drone sounds, park employees face the issue every year that humans cause changes in the birds' nesting areas.

The nesting history of pink flamingos in Odesa region has its peculiarities. They first built nests in the territory of the National Nature Park «Tuzly Estuaries» in 2023, with around 200 nests found near the village of Bazar’yanka. According to Irina Vykhrystiuk, flamingos often choose spots near where people relax. At that time, traces of humans, dogs, and even vehicles were observed on the nests, which forced the birds to leave the area. However, they found another site, farther from humans, where they successfully raised chicks, some of which were banded.