© Sebastiaan Koppelle (Waarneming.nl)The meenatortel flies around Sneek this week
NOS Nieuws•gisteren, 3.45pm
Bird lovers from all over the country will be able to indulge themselves in Friesland this weekend. A special meenatortel has been wintering in the courtyards of Sneek residents for a few days.
The meenatortel, which is not often seen in the Netherlands, was spotted for the first time on Wednesday. Bird lover Vincent Douwes from Leeuwarden decided to go to Sneek immediately, but he did not see the meenatortel. “So I was ready early Thursday morning,” he says. “And then I saw it. It’s a very special bird.”
“The first time a meenatortel was spotted in the Netherlands was in 2009, then in Wergea,” says Douwes. “Then all the birdwatching Netherlands came closer. It was a special sight: all the people with binoculars were running through the streets.”
Second time in Sneek
Since then the species, which usually winters in India, has appeared a few times in the Netherlands. “You see that migratory routes change in different bird species,” Douwes told Omrop Fryslân.
“Apparently Sneek is fine,” the birdwatcher concludes. “It is there together with some collared doves. There are ten houses with their yards facing each other and several residents are feeding the bird. According to them, the animal has been there for a few weeks already.”
According to Douwes, this is the second time a meenatortel appears in Sneek. It could be the same bird; they can live about twenty years. But whether this is indeed the case remains a matter of speculation.
Douwes thinks many birders will be heading to Sneek this weekend. “Many birds have already left the Netherlands. So it’s nice to catch them on these free days.”
The meenatortel is normally found in Central Asia and winters in India and the surrounding area. The pigeon species is also called the eastern pigeon. The bird does not differ much in size from a “normal” pigeon, but has a somewhat stockier build. Characteristic of the meenatortel is the colored spot on the neck.
2023-12-29 14:45:56
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