Turkish landing force of 85 birds: “Flamingos” arrived without a combat mission

A flock of 85 young pink flamingos has arrived at Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park, located in Odesa Oblast. The birds came from Turkey’s Lake Tuz. This was reported by national park researcher Ivan Rusev, who posted a video of the birds on his Facebook page.

Because of the full-scale war launched by Russia against Ukraine, flamingos had not nested in Odesa Oblast for several years. The exception was 2023, when around 200 chicks hatched in the region.

Ivan Rusev believes that adult flamingos may have accompanied this year’s flock of young birds. Some of them may have been born in the national park themselves.

Meanwhile, 12,800 flamingo chicks hatched at Turkey’s Lake Tuz in 2026. This is the highest figure in the past five years, and more than twice as many as in dry years.

Successful nesting was supported by spring rains, sufficient water levels, and an adequate food supply—small brine shrimp, Artemia salina. Tighter control over the use of water resources and less disturbance to the birds during the nesting season also had a positive effect.

The chicks began hatching in early June, and by late August the young flamingos had begun preparing to migrate north. Some of them made the journey to Odesa Oblast and reached the Tuzly Lagoons.

The arrival of young flamingos in Odesa Oblast was part of the birds’ seasonal migration from Turkey to more northerly regions.

Earlier, we reported:

• The noise of war has disrupted the nesting of hundreds of rare flamingos in the Tuzly Lagoons for the fourth year running
• Pink flamingos have returned to Tuzly Lagoons National Park
• Fire Point has developed a turbojet engine for the “Flamingo”
• “Flamingo” reaches a missile plant 1,200 kilometers away: strategic factory in Kirov engulfed in flames
• Ukraine strikes a Roscosmos facility, the Savasleyka airfield, and an oil facility in Russia