At the end of February, a team of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) successfully installed for the first time a satellite transmitter on a Dalmatian Pelican in the area of Atanasovsko Lake near Bulgaria’s Burgas. The transmitter weighs 33 grams and is placed on a section of the bird's wing so as not to create inconvenience when the bird is flying and swimming. The BSPB team also marked the pelican with coloured rings, as before that the bird was examined and measured.

The catching and marking of adult pelicans is done for the first time in Bulgaria and marks a great progress in the study of this rare species. Through ring data and satellite telemetry, scientists will learn in detail about the habitat and threats to this species of pelicans.

The study of the species by satellite telemetry is carried out within the framework of the international project "Conservation of the Dalmatian Pelican on the Black Sea-Mediterranean migration route", funded by the EU LIFE programme. In addition to BSPB, the project partners are Persina Nature Park, the Romanian Ornithological Society, the Greek Ornithological Society, Rewilding - Ukraine and Rewilding - Danube Delta.

The data from the transmitter will soon be uploaded on the project website and it will be possible to monitor the bird's movements in real time.