With the fall season starting in September, thousands of pelicans in Europe start flapping their wings to migrate to Africa.

Pelicans typically pass through Türkiye during their journey, however, some are now choosing to stay due to being fed by local fishermen, disrupting their natural migratory patterns.

“Pelicans naturally migrate to Africa for the winter, but feeding them alters this behavior, causing them to stay longer than they should,” said Deniz Şirin from the Namık Kemal University’s Biology Department.

He emphasized that feeding pelicans harms the ecological balance and can be dangerous to their health. “Wild animals should not be fed unless in extreme cases or emergencies.”

Marmaraereğlisi in the western province of Tekirdağ, a popular stop for migrating pelicans, has become a focal point for this issue.

In the past few years, two pelicans, locally known as Osman and İbo, stopped migrating after being fed and stayed in Tekirdağ.