In mid-January, a team of experts and volunteers from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) successfully built two new floating platforms for the protected Dalmatian pelican.
Floating structures are made of pontoon elements that guarantee great durability and good buoyancy. Each of the platforms has an area of 40 sq.m. The BSPB team also managed to mow a sufficient amount of reeds, which successfully covered both floating structures.
The platforms are located in the oxidation lakes of LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas AD, part of the Special Protected Area “Mandra – Poda” BG0000271. These reservoirs are one of the most preferred places for rest and roosting for the Dalmatian Pelican in the region of the Burgas Lakes. In addition, human anxiety there is kept to a minimum, which is crucial for this species.
Finally, life-size models of Dalmatian pelicans were installed on each of the platforms. Their goal is to arouse the interest of the pelicans and they will soon accept the constructions as their home. This method was successfully used in the formation of a new nesting colony of the species in the Protected area “Kalimok-Brashlen” in 2021.
The latest information about the breeding of the Dalmatian Pelican in the region of Burgas dates back to 1948. The BSPB team hopes to soon congratulate another new nesting colony of this majestic species in Bulgaria. BSBP thanks all the volunteers who took part in this difficult task, as well as the management of LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas AD for their assistance!
The conservation activities of the Dalmatian pelican are carried out in the framework of the “Pelican Way of LIFE” project (LIFE18/NAT/NL/ 000716), funded by the LIFE programme of the European Union and with the assistance in Bulgaria of the Whitley Fund for Nature.