Photo courtesy of npbp.by

MINSK, 25 August (BelTA) - The Bird of the Year 2027 has been named in Belarus, replacing the black stork, which holds the title for 2026, BelTA learned from the Scientific and Practical Center for Bioresources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

The voting for the Bird of the Year 2027 has concluded. Participants could vote online for one of four candidates, with a total of 4,172 votes cast.

By a wide margin, the winner is the European bee-eater (in Belarusian: shchurka-pchalayedka), the most colorful of the four bird species presented for selection. It received 2,165 votes and will take the top spot next year, replacing the black stork.

“The European bee-eater, our champion, is a migratory insectivorous bird from the tropical roller family, which nests in burrows and is listed in the Red Book of Belarus. It can be found in all parts of the country, mostly in the south. Its population is not large, but it is gradually increasing due to climate warming, and the species is expanding northward,” the center said.

Second place went to the garganey, which received 946 votes. The center noted that this is a small migratory duck whose population is declining rapidly.

“Bronze” with 533 votes went to the black-headed gull, while the great cormorant rounded out the list with 528 votes.