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Common crane returns to Bulgaria after 66-year absence

published on 11/21/23 2:37 PM

Photo: Zeynel Cebeci/ Wikimedia commons

The Common Crane (Grus grus) has returned to nest in Bulgaria after a 66-year absence. The birds have chosen the Dragoman marsh as their home. This was announced by the Wild Nature Association “Balkans” after a series of observations by the association and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

In the summer of 2022, a family group of two adults and two nestlings was observed. The birds returned in the spring of 2023. In May, the juveniles disappeared and the adults became less easy to spot, which is normal when the pair are guarding their nest, eggs and chicks. On 11 June this year, experts documented the first newly hatched common crane chick in Bulgaria since 1957. The reason for the species' disappearance from the country's fauna is the destruction of wetlands, which provide the right conditions for feeding and raising their young.

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Radio Bulgaria Life birds common crane ecology return Wild Nature Association “Balkans” WWF

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