The unique pink flamingos that have been nesting in the National Nature Park “Tuzly Limans” in Odesa for several years have recently abandoned their chosen spot due to noisy vacationers. This was reported by park employee Ivan Rusev.

According to the ecologist, the flamingos, returning in April from their wintering grounds, chose what seemed to be a safe area on the sandy isthmus between the Buduri and Shagani limans. However, Rusev noted that close to this nesting site is an old resting area for residents of the Diviziysk community. He mentioned that despite the sounds of war, the flamingos had been holding on to their chosen spot, but after the local residents' “celebration,” which he characterized as a “boozy ‘greenday’,” the birds left their preferred location. Now they are wandering the Tuzly Limans in search of a more secure refuge. Rusev added that they are currently looking for offenders of the national park protection regime and preparing a reliable and mobile protection point for flamingo nesting sites for 2025.

The park director, Irina Vykhristyuk, confirmed that flamingos are very sensitive to disturbances. Although during wartime the main factors of disturbance are shelling and drone noise, park staff face the issue every year that human activity causes changes in the birds' nesting areas.

The nesting history of pink flamingos in Odesa has its peculiarities. They first built nests in the territory of the National Park «Tuzly Limans» in the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district in 2023, with around 200 nests near the village of Bazaryanka. According to Irina Vykhristyuk, flamingos often choose areas close to where people rest. At that time, traces of people, dogs, and even vehicle tracks over the nests were recorded, forcing the birds to abandon the site. However, they found another area, farther from people, successfully raised chicks, part of which were successfully ringed.