A Red-listed pink pelican was spotted on Khortytsia
A pink pelican, a rare bird species listed in Ukraine’s Red Book, has been spotted in the Khortytsia National Nature Reserve.
Reserve officials believe this indicates the gradual recovery of the region’s natural ecosystems.
“The appearance of this majestic bird on the Khortytsia lakes is no coincidence; rather, it points to the deep historical roots of our region. Before the creation of the Kakhovka Reservoir, the floodplain systems of the Great Zaporizhzhia Meadow served as a true refuge for these birds, which were popularly known as the ‘baba-ptitsya’,” the statement noted.
The reserve noted that the renowned naturalist and historian Adrian Kashchenko, in his work *The Great Zaporizhzhia Meadow*, described the local floodplains as a unique natural area inhabited by large flocks of birds. It was here that the pelicans found safe places to rest and shallow waters rich in fish.
Experts explain that the return of the pink pelicans is linked to the natural restoration of the territory of the former Kakhovka Reservoir following changes in the Dnieper River’s course.
“The current return of the pink pelicans is directly linked to global environmental changes, specifically the natural restoration of the former Kakhovka Reservoir area. The restoration of the Dnieper’s historic riverbed, the emergence of new sandbars and shoals, and the formation of young willow thickets are restoring the ecosystem to its authentic state. For the younger generation of pelicans, which undertake summer foraging migrations from the Black Sea region, the revitalized meadow is once again becoming an attractive hunting ground,” the reserve reported.
Ecologists emphasize that the appearance of the pink pelican on Khortytsia is important evidence that the region’s nature is actively recovering even after prolonged human impact.
The return of Red Book-listed birds to their historic habitats demonstrates the restoration of biodiversity and the natural potential of the Lower Dnieper and the Great Zaporizhzhia Meadow.
The reserve’s press office emphasized that the appearance of this majestic bird has not only environmental but also historical significance.
Earlier, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, naturalists recorded the steppe ground beetle—one of Ukraine’s rarest insects, listed in the Red Book—three times over the past two months.
In the Teteriv Forest District in Kyiv Oblast, plans are underway to establish a new protected area to safeguard the white-tailed eagle—one of Ukraine’s largest and rarest birds of prey, listed in the Red Book.
