Over 200 swans settle on Prut River

More than 200 whooper swans have settled on the Prut River in Ukraine's Chernivtsi region, close to people's homes, according to the Facebook page of the Mamaivtsi merged territorial community.

"One of the rare birds - a whooper swan - has chosen for itself the water area of the Prut River in the Mamaivtsi merged territorial community. At present, there are more than 200 swans in the river," the report reads.

In nature, these birds usually live in sparsely populated rivers and lakes overgrown with reeds, spending almost all their time on the water. But despite this, the swans have chosen a pond near human settlements.

"This means that birds are treated very well and they are fed. In this regard, people are asked not to feed the white swans with bread, because their stomachs do not accept such food and the birds may even die because of this. If possible, you can feed them with wheat or corn," the report reads.

The whooper swan is protected by the EU Birds Directive, the Bern and Bonn Conventions, and the Agreement on the Conservation of Afro-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds.

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