Pink flamingos in Ukraine's south survive two snow and sea storms
Photo: Tuzly Lagoons National Natural Park
A large group of pink flamingos that settled between the vast Tuzly Estuaries of Shahany and Alibei in the Odesa region managed to withstand two crazy snowstorms with snow and storms.
Rubryka reports, citing the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park, that 1,114 pink flamingos arrived at the Tuzly Estuaries National Park in October.
As scientists pointed out, this is currently the largest number of flamingos recorded by biologists in the park. Almost all are adults, but there are also some small ones this year.
Photo: Tuzly Lagoons National Natural Park
Biologists reported that the wind reached over 20 m/s during the storm, and waves on the shallow estuary were 50 centimeters high.
According to environmentalists, after the bad weather, the entire shore of Shahany Estuary was covered with a mat of seaweed, and a flock of flamingos appeared near the border of "Tuzly Lagoons." The national park noted that about 900 birds flew in, and this is approximately half of the birds currently staying in the Tuzly nature parks.
Photo: Tuzly Lagoons National Natural Park
"Perhaps they decided to diversify their diet, and after enjoying artemia on Alibei, they flew to feed on the seaweed on Shahany, and they have been staying here for several days," said the biologists in their statement.
Photo: Tuzly Lagoons National Natural Park
Among this flock, it was possible to photograph several young birds with yellow rings and read their numbers. Park employees are confident that the chicks they ringed in September are doing well and are still staying in the park.
Earlier, Rubryka reported that 192 flamingo chicks were raised in the Tuzly Lagoons National Park. This happened for the first time in Ukraine when these birds founded a large colony and raised many chicks throughout the summer. Later, the flamingo chicks were ringed.
Photo: Tuzly Lagoons National Natural Park
What we know about the storm that raged last week
As Rubryka wrote, Ukraine recently suffered from a storm with squally winds and snow with freezing rain. The southern regions of the country were most affected.
Due to the storm in Ukraine on the night of November 26, traffic on 14 highways was blocked, and 2,019 settlements were de-energized in 16 regions.
Hundreds of cars in the Odesa region were stuck in snow tents on the roads. Due to snow and freezing rain in the region, almost 50 car accidents occurred within a few hours.
As of the morning of November 28, due to the storm in Ukraine, ten people died, and another 23 were injured, including children.
Also, Crimea was hit by the strongest storm in the Black Sea in the last 100 years.
