site.btaCommon Goldeneye Found Nesting in Bulgaria for First Time Ever

The first-ever proven case of common goldeneye nesting in Bulgaria has been recorded on Persin Island near Belene (on the Danube). A team of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) have observed for several hours a female goldeneye with three young birds evidently hatched this year, the BSPB said in a press release.

Until the observation made in June, representatives of the common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) were known to only winter in Bulgaria. The species is common in Northern and Central Europe, with the closest nesting sites being in Romania and Ukraine. This year, young birds were observed for the first time ever in the area of Serbia's capital.

The goldeneyes are medium-sized ducks nesting in forest areas with swamp vegetation, usually in holes inside old trees. Young birds are easily distinguishable in that their eyes lack the vivid gold colour seen in adults.