On August 10, 2017, eight Ruddy Shelducks were released in the ecological reserve of “Burgas Lake”, grown from feather plumage to adulthood at the Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Center in the town of Stara Zagora.
The Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) is one of the endangered birds in Bulgaria and was included in the Red Book as early as 1985. This beautiful bird of the Duck family walks well on land, swims well but rarely dives. She flies fast, her flight is noisy, and she makes a sound like “ang, ang” from where she takes her name.
The Ruddy Shelduck prefers wide and open areas. It populates different types of water basins, but prefers mainly the open and without much underwater vegetation. It is often found in saltwater basins. Avoids woodland.
That is why Green Balkans Rescue Center specialists, who had grown up with love the eight young red angels in search of a new home of the perennials, chose the eco-reserve “Burgas Lake”, managed by the Via Pontica Foundation.
Burgas Lake is located on the Via Pontica Migration Road. The Via Pontica Foundation maintains the open water area and the shores of this wetland with great care because this valuable ecosystem is of great importance for the breeding, feeding and resting of more than 350 bird species as well as for the country’s fish stocks. The Foundation aims to make this friendly and beautiful place for relaxation and a model of friendly space for birds.
The choice of the experts from the Green Balkans Rescue Center proved to be excellent. Yet when they were released, the young birds have felt completely at home, and some of them even made their first flight over the place and subsequently joined the others in the water.
See them in the photos and video below:
