We chose to celebrate New Year at home: giant pigeons in Dnipro skipped their usual migration (PHOTOS).

This year, Dnipro has witnessed an unusual phenomenon: giant pigeons, known as rock doves, have abandoned their traditional migration to warmer regions and decided to stay in the city for the winter. This was reported by "Vydano" referencing "Nashe Misto".

This situation has sparked surprise and interest among ornithologists, as these largest representatives of the pigeon family in Ukraine typically leave our latitudes when cold weather sets in. However, this winter, characterized by abnormally high temperatures, has altered the typical behavior of these birds.

The new year found the Dnipro giant pigeon at home, surrounded by its peers, forming unusually large flocks. Oleksandr Ponomarenko, a senior researcher at the Dnipro-Oril Nature Reserve, spoke about the unprecedented number of rock doves that have chosen to winter in Dnipro. According to his observations, in some areas of the city, the number of these birds reaches several hundred. He noted having encountered a flock of up to 100 rock doves, while his colleague recorded a population of about 300 individuals near the spit in the Victory area. This significantly exceeds the usual numbers for the winter period.

This phenomenon is not only observed among rock doves.

"As a result of the warm winter, many herons, ducks, and swans have remained for the winter," emphasized Ponomarenko.

However, according to him, the behavior of this pigeon subspecies is particularly surprising, as their migratory instincts are usually very strong.

Earlier, we reported - that a red-listed bird was spotted in the Kryvyi Rih region

We also reported - that a real baby boom occurred at the "Sich" yacht club in Dnipro