The past year proved to be quite dynamic and full of challenges for nesting Dalmatian pelicans in Bulgaria. To successfully raise their chicks, the birds had to overcome numerous difficulties – low water levels in the Danube River and surrounding wetlands, sudden cold spells and heatwaves, as well as attacks from ground predators.

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.

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

In late November, the team of experts and volunteers from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) successfully executed various activities aimed at enhancing the nesting conditions for the protected Dalmatian Pelican within the “Mandra – Poda” Special Protection Area (BG0000271).

Unlike last year, 2023 turned out to be much more favorable for the Dalmatian Pelicans nesting in Persina Nature Park and Kalimok-Brushlen Protected Area. The main reason for this is the relatively high-water level of the Danube River from February to June, which is crucial for the wetland areas along the river and the water-loving bird species nesting there.

At the end of March, the first Dalmatian pelicans hatched in the Persina Nature Park and in the Kalimok-Brushlen Protected Area. This was discovered during the regular monitoring of the species, carried out by experts and volunteers of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), as well as by experts from the Directorate of the Persina Nature Park in the town of Belene.

For the eighth years in a row, the breeding season for Dalmatian pelicans has started in the Persina Nature Park.