{"id":634129,"date":"2026-11-06T19:10:23","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T17:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/2026\/11\/634129\/once-every-8-10-years-siberian-nutcrackers-have-arrived-in-ukraine-in-large-numbers\/"},"modified":"2026-11-06T20:45:13","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T18:45:13","slug":"once-every-8-10-years-siberian-nutcrackers-have-arrived-in-ukraine-in-large-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/en\/2026\/11\/634129\/once-every-8-10-years-siberian-nutcrackers-have-arrived-in-ukraine-in-large-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Once every 8\u201310 years: Siberian nutcrackers have arrived in Ukraine in large numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Colorful Siberian-subspecies nutcrackers are being spotted en masse in various parts of Ukraine<\/strong> this fall. Ornithologist Oleh Martsun<\/strong> said reports of these rare visitors had come from areas stretching from Polissia<\/strong> to the south of the country. The birds were seen not only in forests, but also in parks and private yards.<\/p>\n

This mass movement beyond their usual range is known as an irruption. About once every 8\u201310 years<\/strong>, nutcrackers leave the taiga, where they normally live, and head west in search of food. A likely explanation for this migration is a shortage of conifer seeds, especially Siberian pine seeds.<\/p>\n

In search of food, these birds can travel thousands of kilometers<\/strong>. For Ukrainians, this unusual migration is a rare opportunity to see birds from places so far away.<\/p>\n

Oleh Martsun<\/strong> described his own encounter with nutcrackers in Kyiv<\/strong>: on October 31<\/strong>, he observed at least six<\/strong> birds at the Mykola Hryshko National Botanical Garden<\/strong>. They foraged both on the ground and among the branches of thuja trees, where they ate the plants\u2019 seeds. Although nutcrackers are omnivorous, conifer seeds make up a significant part of their diet.<\/p>\n

The ornithologist also encountered a small flock of crossbills in the capital. Their mass appearance in Ukraine<\/strong> is another<\/strong> notable sighting this fall.<\/p>\n

Maya Studzinski<\/strong> also shared photos of the nutcrackers.<\/p>\n