A volunteer conservation brigade, organized by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) in the area of Burgas, brought together nearly 60 volunteers from August 24 to September 1 to help protect nature and birds.

Rewilding Europe caught up with illustrator Jeroen Helmer to learn more about the background, workflow, and motivations of this uniquely gifted artist and committed rewilder. One of his works is dedicated to the Dalmatian pelican and its habitat.

At the beginning of July 2024, the Danube Delta Rewilders Camp, organized by Rewilding Ukraine and Rewilding Romania, welcomed 30 enthusiastic secondary school children from the local communities of the delta. The camp took place in Jurilovca, a charming village on the Romanian side of the delta.

This year has been favorable for the Dalmatian pelicans nesting in Persina Nature Park and the “Kalimok-Brushlen” Protected Area. The primary reason for this success is the relatively high water level of the Danube river from February to June, which is crucial for the condition of the river’s wetlands and the nesting waterfowl species.

Romania’s fish-eating birds, including cormorants and pelicans, are finding themselves at the center of a fascinating dialogue on human-wildlife coexistence. A recent technical report by the Romanian Ornithological Society (SOR) prepared within Pelican Way of LIFE initiative sheds light on the attitudes of fishery operators and managers towards these birds, and offers a glimmer of hope for more harmonious future interactions.

The seventh international pelican census was conducted at the very beginning of June in the Balkan countries. The census aims to collect data on the population and distribution of Dalmatian and Great white pelicans in the study area. The event was organized within the initiative “Pelican Way of LIFE” and was coordinated by the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS).

At the end of February, one of the six Dalmatian pelicans fitted with a satellite transmitter late last year was detected transmitting data from the same spot for several days.

Artificial nesting platforms are supporting the ongoing recovery of European Dalmatian pelican populations in the Danube Delta and beyond.

Over the past two months, two Dalmatian pelicans tagged with GPS transmitters have died. At the end of January, the young female pelican Stella was found dead in the area of Lake Mandrа near Burgas in Bulgaria, and a few weeks later, in the area of Lake Golovița in Romania, located north of the city of Constanța, the body of the adult female pelican Plamena was discovered. In both cases, the cause of death was entanglement in fishing nets, likely followed by drowning of the birds.

Successfully initiating for the fourth consecutive year, the Dalmatian pelicans have nested in the “Kalimok-Brushlen” Protected Area and other wetlands of Bulgaria.