site.btaBird Species Believed to No Longer Nest in Country Spotted in SC Bulgaria

A large individual of the bird species Little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) was spotted in a field in Stambolovo Municipality (South Central Bulgaria) on Saturday, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) reported. It is considered extinct as a nesting species in Bulgaria. 

The rare bird was photographed by vet and BSPB member Georgi Georgiev. The place of his observation was later visited by a team of the BSPB and the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, who agains documented the little bustard's presence in the area.

This bird species used to nest in the area more than 100 years ago. Its last nests were observed in Northern Bulgaria around the 1950s. Nowadays, separate individuals can be seen vary rarely, monstly in winter. Their origin is unknown but they could be part of the species' Ukrainian population.