Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

The warm weather tricks storks into wintering in Bulgaria

Photo: Georgi Argirov, Radio Kardzhali

Severak storks, considered harbingers of spring, have already arrived in the village of Petelovo near Kardzhali. Already at the end of last year, the birds were spotted by local residents, and their appearance became known after photos on social networks. 

"They have been here for at least 20 days, landing in different nests, as if they can't find their place," say local residents. 
The storks are considered a good sign in the village, as people assume that the birds were most likely fooled by the warm weather and went to their nests. People wonder if they ever made it to the warmer latitudes where they usually spend the winter. 

The situation is unusual, because none of the inhabitants of Petelovo remembers seeing storks as early as January. People are afraid that the winter is not over yet and the temperatures may go down, and the permanent cold may prove to be disastrous for the migratory birds. ‎

"Increasingly, there are reports of spotted storks wintering in Bulgaria," say the ornithologists from the Wildlife Rescue Centre for Green Balkans in Stara Zagora and add that most probably these birds did not migrate at all south, or are birds from a more northern population.‎



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Father Genadiy Martinov: Our soul has a memory, you cannot deceive it

Nearly two centuries ago, in the distant 1838, the Bessarabian Archbishop Dmitry Kishinev and Khotinsky consecrated the magnificent Orthodox church "The Holy Transfiguration of the Lord" , built with voluntary donations and labor by the Bulgarian..

published on 10/29/25 4:10 PM

Love and care: The key to success at the Bulgarian Sunday School in Larnaca

Bringing youthful energy, colour and cheer to the Bulgarian National Radio studio, students from the Bulgarian Sunday School Dr Petar Beron arrived from Larnaca. The group from Cyprus — 16 pupils aged between 14 and 19 — is currently on a week-long..

published on 10/29/25 2:21 PM

Two centuries of longing: The Bessarabian and Tavrian Bulgarians' bond with their ancestral land

At the outset of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Bessarabian Bulgarians across all lands marked their national day with prayers for peace. Nearly four years on, burdened with even greater sorrow, they commemorate that special day scattered..

published on 10/29/25 1:26 PM