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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.‎



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