In the last few weeks, the team of the Hellenic Ornithological Society visited Messolonghi and Amvrakikos Gulf in order to coordinate tagging and monitoring activities of Dalmatian pelican chicks in the two important breeding colonies of the species.

A few weeks ago, one more Dalmatian pelican was ringed and tagged with a satellite transmitter in the Kleisova lagoon in Messolonghi.

Last week a Dalmatian pelican was found dead due to a collision with the power lines in the area of Tourlida, in the Messolonghi Lagoon. 50% of the power transmission lines within the National Parks of Messolonghi Lagoon and Amvrakikos Gulf Wetlands are dangerous for Dalmatian pelicans and other bird species that breed in these areas, according to a study carried out by the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS) as part of the Pelican Way of LIFE initiative.

The team of the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS) developed a lovely kit of educational materials to teach Greek pupils about the biology, behavior and features of the Dalmatian pelican, but more importantly, about the threats the species is facing and the need for its protection.

The team of the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS) recently assessed the powerlines at selected points within the Messolonghi Lagoon and Amvrakikos Wetlands National Parks to find out which of them are dangerous for Dalmatian pelicans. 50% of the investigated powerlines appeared to be risky for birds.

The 5th South-East European pelican census took place in May 2022. For one day, hundreds of volunteers and scientists simultaneously visited 95 wetlands in Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey where they counted a total of 3,823 Dalmatian pelicans and 3,496 Great white pelicans.

A training seminar was held in Lemos (Greece), near Prespa Lake, on June 22-23 as part of the “Pelican Way of LIFE” project. The workshop is specially organized for experts from Albania, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey.

After a few unsuccessful attempts, the team of Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS)/BirdLife Greece succeeded in tagging with a satellite transmitter one more Dalmatian Pelican in Western Greece, which is the second one in the Messolonghi region.

At the end of March the team of the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS) was in Messolonghi for a series of actions within the initiative Pelican Way of LIFE, financed by the LIFE Program of the European Commission.

In February Dimitris Vavylis, the Greek conservationist and photographer, visited Messolonghi and other wetlands of Western Greece aiming to shoot the gorgeous Dalmatian pelicans, their protected habitats, local communities, and more. Read the exciting blog of the photographer about the mission and of course enjoy the great photos from the region.