A colony of the endangered Dalmatian pelican has settled near Burgas

After almost 80 years, a new breeding colony of the endangered Dalmatian pelican has appeared in Bulgaria. The birds have settled on artificial islands built by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) in the Mandra-Poda Complex, a Natura 2000 site near Burgas.

This is the fourth breeding site for the species in Bulgaria, along with those at Lake Srebarna, Persin Island (Belene) and the Kalimok-Brashlen nature reserve.

At the end of 2021, as part of the international project 'The Life of the Pelican', BSPB experts and volunteers built two 40 square metre floating platforms in the oxidation lakes of the Lukoil Neftochim Burgas refinery, within the boundaries of the Mandra-Poda complex. The aim was to attract birds to nest in the area.

These ponds are among the most preferred resting and nesting sites for the Dalmatian Pelican in the Burgas Lakes region, as human disturbance is kept to a minimum, which is extremely important for this species. As a result, these man-made islands have become favourite places for Dalmatian and White Pelicans.

To date, 23 nests have been found and the birds continue to build more.