This week’s Birdsday Thursday takes us to the estuaries of Odesa region, where pelicans, glossy ibises, shelducks, avocets, rollers, and even the mighty short-toed snake eagle can be spotted. These wetlands are alive with wings and voices, showing the richness of Ukraine’s south.
Great white pelicans also breed across southeast Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia — their migration routes tie Ukraine to the Nile Delta.
Glossy ibises range from southern Europe to Africa, Asia, and even the Americas, making them true global travelers.
Common shelducks can be seen from Western Europe all the way to Central Asia.
Avocets stretch across Europe, Asia, and Africa, often on salt flats and coastal lagoons.
European rollers, bright blue birds of open steppes, migrate from Ukraine to spend winters in southern Africa.
And the short-toed snake eagle, a powerful raptor, ranges from the Mediterranean through Central Asia, all the way to India.
But Odesa is not just about nature. Long before it became the city we know today, this land was known as Hadjibey. The first written mention of Hadjibey dates back to 1415, when the Black Sea region belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. At that time, several fortresses and settlements dotted the northern coast of the Black Sea, controlling the routes between the steppe and the sea. Hadjibey was one of these strategic points.
Hadjibey was also an important point for controlling Black Sea trade routes, including grain transport and fishing. Caravan routes across the steppes connected Crimea, Moldova, Kyiv, and Europe. Whoever controlled Hadjibey could influence both the coastline and maritime trade.
From the 16th century, the territory came under the influence of the Zaporizhian Cossacks, who frequently conducted raids against Turks and Tatars, targeting coastal fortresses, including Hadjibey. In the 18th century, the Black Sea Cossack Host (descendants of the Zaporizhians) played a particularly important role. Drawn into campaigns of the Russian Empire against the Ottoman Empire, they participated in the storming of Hadjibey in 1789, helping to drive Ottoman garrisons from the coast.
However, the aftermath of the Treaty of Jassy in 1792 revealed a betrayal. The Cossacks had expected to retain autonomy and special rights over the lands they had recaptured. Instead, the Russian Empire treacherously dismantled the Black Sea Cossack Host, integrating the territory into imperial administration and settling it with colonists, effectively curtailing Cossack self-rule.
In 1795, Hadjibey was renamed Odesa, and by the first half of the 19th century, it had grown into the largest port of the northern Black Sea, attracting Greeks, Jews, Bulgarians, Italians, Ukrainians, and others. Behind the modern city lies a rich Cossack past — stories of free riders, steppe winds, and the southern horizon of Ukraine.
Thanks to Alexandra Osipova for the incredibly beautiful photos of the birds of the Odessa region.
Look for more videos and photos by Sasha at the links below:
by OkPerformance1868
3 comments
Thank you for sharing the birds and the history of Odesa!
Pretty birds. Thanks for sharing!
Wooo happy birdsday! Loved this 🐦
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