A record number of pelicans on Lake Skadar

"Although ornithologists have been conducting research of this species in Skadar Lake NP for many years, this number has never been recorded before. The number of 227 pelicans surpasses the results from the seventies and eighties of the last century"
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Ažurirano: 08.05.2017. 10:49h

During the weekend, a record number of pelicans was recorded in the Skadar Lake National Park. 277 pelicans and 56 young ones were identified, while more new ones are expected in the nesting colony.

This number exceeds last year's record, when this park was home to 178 pelicans and about 30 young pelicans in May. These are excellent results not only for Montenegro but also for the region, and it will surely be remembered by numerous ornithologists and biologists who link their work to the Skadar Lake NP area, because the current number of pelicans exceeds all records recorded in the previous three decades.

In addition to the significant number of this population of birds, we are also pleased by the fact that the number of young is higher than in previous years, so we can say with pleasure that this year's nesting was more than successful.

"Although ornithologists have been conducting research of this species in Skadar Lake NP for many years, this number has never been recorded before. The number of 227 pelicans exceeds the results from the seventies and eighties of the last century, which were mentioned as the most successful years for a long time", said the director of the Public Enterprise for National Parks of Montenegro, Azra Vuković.

JPNPCG ornithologist Nela Vešović Dubak stated that the situation on the ground when it comes to the number of pelicans is only proof that the measures implemented in terms of habitat conservation in the special reserve of Pančeva oka have enabled, after several years, the conditions for increasing the number of the population and reducing their harassment.

"After last year's records, this year's data from the field make us even more proud of the fact that the efforts made by the Public Enterprise for National Parks of Montenegro, Skadar Lake National Park, the Museum of Natural History, the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds, international organizations, and volunteers have been fantastic results", Vešović Dubak said. She added that these results were determined within the framework of the second complete census, which was organized as part of the Southeast European Census and in which representatives of the Natural History Museum and the Noe Conservation organization participated in addition to representatives of JPNPCG.

In previous years, conservation measures were implemented, artificial platforms were set up as nesting places, and with the efforts of the Skadar Lake NP Protection Service to protect the special reserve, extraordinary results were achieved. We remind you that precisely the lack of natural nesting sites, which were destroyed due to overgrowth and flooding, was recognized as one of the reasons why pelicans nested to a lesser extent in NP Skadarsko jezero in earlier years.

The activities that have been carried out in the past three years are the result of the project "Preservation of pelicans, the key species of biodiversity of Lake Skadar", which was financed by CEPF (Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund) and the MAVA Foundation, and coordinated by Noe Conservation with 6 other partners organization - the Public Enterprise for National Parks of Montenegro - NP Skadar Lake, the Natural History Museum of Montenegro, the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds, Tour du Valat, EuroNatur and INCA Albania.

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