Listed in Appendix II of CITES, Annex II of the Bern Convention, Annex II of the CMS, under which it is covered by the AEWA. Present in the project area of all year round. Up to 44 pairs breed in Poda Reserve, being the only such colony along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. More than 1,500 individuals are estimated to migrate through the project area during a season, which is about 6% of the European population. Included in the national RDB as Critically Endangered. Collisions with overhead electricity cables are the main non-natural causes of death during migration.
