Hundreds of rare pink flamingos at a national park in Ukraine's Odesa region have again failed to find a safe nesting site, driven off by the sounds of war, according to a park scientist.
Ivan Rusev, a doctor of biological sciences and head of the research department at Tuzlivski Lymany National Nature Park, said the birds could not find a peaceful nesting location in 2026, as was also the case in 2022, 2024, and 2025. He said the flamingos are frightened by the noise of the war.
Rusev said several hundred birds are currently present in the park but remain mostly in a restricted reserve zone closed to visitors. He said the flamingos will be visible to the public after the war ends.
A difficult history
The flamingos first nested at Tuzlivski Lymany in 2023, successfully raising 200 chicks. In 2024, around 400 nests were destroyed due to the war and no chicks were produced. Last year, the birds again attempted to nest at various lagoons in Odesa region but once more failed to raise chicks, according to Rusev, who attributed the failure to actions by Russian occupying forces.
In spring 2026, a flock returned to the park. Rusev reported at the time that the birds were spotted at the Tuzlivska Amazonia border area and were actively searching for safe nesting locations.
