Mass die-off of grebes reported along Caspian coast in Azerbaijan

Thousands of grebes (family Podicipedidae) have been found dead along the Caspian Sea coastline, particularly near Niyazabad village in the Khachmaz District, Azertac reported. The carcasses were scattered over several kilometers.

Local residents said the mass deaths began in early February. “The birds gathered in one place and remained motionless. They did not fly away even when touched. On the shore, they bent their necks and froze to death,” said Anar Mikayılov.

Officials from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency have conducted on-site inspections and collected samples. Early assessments suggest natural factors, disease, or food scarcity as possible causes, with definitive results pending laboratory analysis.

Grebes typically inhabit freshwater bodies and migrate to Azerbaijan in winter. Similar die-offs were previously recorded along Shikh beach. Cleanup and environmental mitigation efforts are underway.

A. Zeynalova