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

RIEW-Sofia alerts police about dead birds near Koprivshtitsa

Photo: Green Balkans Rescue Center

The Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water - Sofia has alerted the "Crimes against Wildlife" Department of the National Police Directorate General about more than a thousand dead birds found near Koprivshtitsa. On the basis of the evidence found, the institution on whose territory the case of the dead Bramblings is located, proposes that an investigation be carried out into a crime of a general nature.


"The necropsy and analysis give reason to believe that the cause of death was stress caused by the pyrotechnics on New Year's Eve," the Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Centre said earlier. According to the experts, there is no possibility that the birds near the city were poisoned or infected with avian flu.

Songbirds are diurnal and if they are frightened at night by the loud noise and sudden bursts of fireworks, they will fly up and become very disoriented, collide with obstacles, etc., a RIEW expert explained, adding that fireworks should not be used in ornithologically important places, national parks and other protected areas, as well as in bird colonies and roosts.

The Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla), also known as the Mountain Finch, is a small migratory songbird. It is widespread, but declining. It forms large flocks in winter, sometimes with thousands or even millions of birds in a single flock. It is a protected species in Bulgaria. According to the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, 1,534 Bramblings were recorded last year.





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

Weather forecast: The clouds and rain continue, no rain in the Southwest

On Thursday minimum temperatures will range between 6 and 11° C., for Sofia around 8° C. During the day the weather will continue cloudy and rainy. The rain will be more significant in Eastern Bulgaria, and in the afternoon – in Central Bulgaria...

published on 11/5/25 6:35 PM
Deputy PM Tomislav Donchev

European Commission withholds payment under recovery and resilience plan over failure to implement anti-corruption reforms

The European Commission has decided to withhold EUR 215 million from the second payment under Bulgaria’s recovery and resilience plan, the EC told the Bulgarian National Radio. The country is to receive EUR 439 million. EU may cut money for..

published on 11/5/25 4:39 PM

Parliament sets up ad-hoc committee to investigate Soros’ activities in Bulgaria

With 111 votes for, 51 against and 43 abstained, the National Assembly approved the establishment of an ad-hoc committee to investigate the activities of George Soros and his son Alexander Soros and their foundations in this country financing..

published on 11/5/25 3:15 PM