Birds

Conservationists are facing a setback after an endangered white scavenger vulture named Ionas disappeared during his first migratory journey.

Migration is normally something we refer to in numbers, counting the thousands. When we're not counting thousands, we're mourning dozens or hundreds. And when we're not mourning, we're cursing, assigning blame to others, depending on the circumstances and the intensity of the political rivalries in the country. 

Nearly 3,800 people died on migration routes within and from the Middle East and North Africa last year, the highest number recorded there since 2017, according to data published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Within the scope of the efforts to protect wildlife in the eastern province of Van's lake basins, gendarmerie units are keeping a close watch on endangered white-headed ducks by patrolling the region 24/7.

Lake Erçek, located near Lake Van, hosts thousands of birds every year. One of the rarest birds of the region, white-headed ducks, also live around this area.

Veterinarian Gökçe Coşkun, who carries out scientific studies on wildlife rehabilitation, provides voluntary treatment for birds that leaves Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in March and are injured during their migration to Northern Europe via Türkiye.

Composer, songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Dimitris Aronis takes the stage at the Piraeus Club Academy (piraeusclubacademy.gr) with his solo act, Moa Bones.

The eagle owl (Bubo bubo) is Slovenia's largest owl. Its population in the country counts some 150 specimens. Many of them nest in the western region of Kras and enthusiasts taking part in the most recent monitoring there registered a record 16 nesting sites.

The oldest Magellanic penguin at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, one of the oldest penguins living under human care anywhere in the world, died on June 6 at the age of 40, the zoo reported.

The estimated age of the male, called Captain Eo, was well over the species' average life expectancy of 20 to 30 years, the zoo said in a statement.

Pelicans on Skadar Lake in Montenegro. Photo: PR Centar

Bojan Zekovic of the Centre for the Study and Protection of Birds, CRZP, said that 15 pelicans at the lake had died since the first case of avian flu was registered in Montenegro in April 6.

Starlings are quite social birds, we usually find them in very large flocks that often look like a cloud