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

Kimia Alizadeh

Kimia Alizadeh supports a campaign that combats violence against children

Taekwondo athlete Kimia Alizadeh, who won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, supported the National Campaign Combating Violence Against and Among Children "Be Brave, Be Good" of the State Agency for Child Protection. "Bullying and..

published on 12/29/24 12:37 PM

Sofia Zoo rescues distressed wild and exotic animals

As a rescue center for wild animals, this year too, the Sofia Zoo sheltered deer injured in accidents, storks that cannot fly and even a Nile crocodile . Among the animals housed are also confiscated valuable exotic birds such as pink flamingos and pink..

published on 12/28/24 10:21 PM
The result of last year's beach cleanup was hundreds of kilograms of collected waste

Environmentalists clean beaches on the Southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast

Non-governmental organizations are cleaning two of the beaches on the Southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.  The Clean Christmas campaign under the motto "A Clean Home for the Inhabitants of the Black Sea" is being organized for the seventh..

published on 12/28/24 12:13 PM