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

Mass death of small songbirds reported to Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Centre

New Year's Eve fireworks and crackers kill nearly 600 bramblings near the town of Koprivshtitsa 

Birds died of stress, necropsy shows

Photo: Wildlife Rescue Centre - Green Balkans

On the first day of the new year 2025, the Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Centre found a total of 606 Bramblings (Fringilla montifringilla), of which 591 were dead. 

Information about the disaster was received at noon on 1 January, when concerned citizens reported a mass death of small songbirds near Koprivshtitsa. A team from the environmental organisation went to the scene and found hundreds of dead and injured bramblings. The necropsy of the dead birds showed that they had died of stress, with massive haemorrhages in the abdominal cavity and skull. The stress was caused by the thunderous fireworks and crackers on New Year's Eve.

The brambling is a bird species protected under the Bulgarian Biodiversity Act.

Many other birds and animals have also died in populated areas of Bulgaria as a result of the noisy celebrations. Numerous cases of frightened and lost pets were reported on social media.



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

PM Rosen Zhelyazkov has invited King Charles III to visit Bulgaria again

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has invited King Charles III to visit Bulgaria again , the Council of Ministers announced. The two spoke at the royal reception organized on the occasion of the Berlin Process summit in London , which..

published on 10/22/25 3:34 PM
Kostadin Kostadinov

Vazrazhdane party to propose law banning politicians sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act from holding high office

Legislative amendments banning individuals sanctioned under the global Magnitsky law from holding senior government or party positions will likely be submitted to Parliament as early as Thursday by the Vazrazhdane party, MP Petar Petrov told BNR...

published on 10/22/25 2:07 PM

The EP Liberals are set to investigate the arrest of the mayor of Varna

The Renew Europe political group in the European Parliament has established a working group to examine instances in which the Bulgarian government may have acted against the rule of law. The move comes in response to what the group describes as..

published on 10/22/25 1:37 PM