A rare kulyk-soroka listed in the Red Book has returned from Africa to the Odesa region

At the National Nature Park “Tuzlovski Limans” in the Odesa region, the return of a rare Red Book bird — the oystercatcher — was recently recorded; the observation was reported by Doctor of Biological Sciences, head of the park’s research department Ivan Rusiev.

According to the scientist, the coastal bird of the species Haematopus ostralegus flew to the park from Africa. In the video he shared one can see a black-and-white oystercatcher with pink legs and a bright red beak, walking along the water’s edge and foraging in shallow water.

Rusiev recalled that last year these birds had already visited “Tuzlovski Limans”: then they arrived from Poland, spent some time on the Ukrainian coast, and later headed to Guinea-Bissau.

The oystercatcher is a coastal species listed in the Red Book, so each of its appearances in southern Ukraine is recorded by park staff and ornithologists. Usually the birds choose areas with natural sandbars where it is easier to find food.

Previously we wrote:

• Ice trap on the river in Mykolaiv: a swan died despite rescuers’ efforts
• Locust invasion in the south: Kherson and Odesa regions are already suffering, Mykolaiv is next
• Odesa beaches under threat: fuel oil from Russian tankers has reached the coast
• Pink flamingos have again arrived at the national park “Tuzlovski Limans”
• In the Black and Azov Seas, several thousand dolphins died due to Russia’s actions