Ornithologists with the Danube Delta National Research and Development Institute, the Romanian Ornithological Society, and the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration (ARBDD) marked eight curly pelicans with color rings and also fitted the birds with electronic monitoring devices, the Reserve Administration announced on Wednesday on Facebook.
The pelicans' marking and tracking operation was carried out in May as part of the Life Danube Free Sky and Pelican Way of LIFE projects; seven curly pelicans are now fitted with GPS-GSM solar-powered patagial transmitters which are attached to the bird's wing.
"Every day, at pre-set intervals, these devices provide a high amount of precise data about the frequented places and the activity of the birds, giving us a much more detailed perspective on the movements of individuals and potential threats. The collected information helps specialists to better understand the behavior and needs of this species, making it possible to develop effective and specific conservation measures to protect the curly pelican," the ARBDD announcement reads.
The Dalmatian or curly pelican is one of the largest flighted birds in the world and is listed as Vulnerable on the Romanian Red List of bird species and globally as Near Threatened.
The marked birds live in various places in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, in Ukraine, and in Bulgaria, west of Varna.
According to the ARBDD announcement, the public can follow the activity of the monitored pelicans via the free Animal Tracker application, available in the app stores for both Android and iOS systems.
The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is a protected UNESCO heritage natural area, and the Danube Delta is shared between Romania and Ukraine. AGERPRES
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