The LIFE Rhodope Vulture restocking programme welcomed five Spanish Cinereous Vultures. The vultures recovered well from the long travel and will spend the next month in an acclimatisation aviary.
The cross-border Bulgarian-Greek project LIFE Rhodope Vulture recently welcomed five Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) into its restocking programme. With an impressive 3,300 kilometres in three days journey across Europe, they moved from Spain to their new temporary home in the Eastern Rhodopes. A team of experts constantly monitored their health and comfort during the journey. The transfer was made possible through the collaboration between the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, coordinators of the project, and the Spanish conservation organization GREFA.
Once the birds arrived in Bulgaria, the BSPB team performed a full health check-up and moved them to an acclimatisation aviary. The aviary will be their home for several months, allowing the vultures to safely adapt to the local environment. The acclimatisation period is extremely delicate, but it is crucial to increase the chances of survival in the wild.
A new bright chapter for Cinereous Vultures in Bulgaria
The Cinereous Vulture is one of the rarest bird species in the Balkans. Threats like habitat loss, poisonings, and lack of food availability slowly drove the species to extinction in Bulgaria by the end of the 20th century. Luckily, thanks to conservation projects like the LIFE Rhodope Vulture, the tides are changing.
Since the beginning of the reintroduction programme, three years ago, 40 cinereous vultures have been released in the Eastern Rhodopes. More importantly, after 30 years of absence from the area, Cinereous Vultures started to reproduce thanks to international cooperation, long-term conservation work, and the support of local communities. The last breeding season registered eight breeding pairs, three of which successfully raised chicks. This is an historical result for Bulgaria.
Source: BSPB
LIFE Rhodope Vulture
Co-funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Union and the Rewilding Europe, The LIFE Rhodope Vulture project is dedicated to the recovery of the Cinereous Vultures population in the Rhodope mountains, between Bulgaria and Greece. The project aims to increase food availability for the species and address human wildlife conflicts. It will reintroduce birds from Spain to establish a new colony in Bulgaria and conserve the Greek colony in Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli National Park. Lastly, the project aims to foster cooperation among local businesses, conservation initiatives, and stakeholders, and raise awareness about the ecological benefits of Cinereous Vultures. The project duration is 5 years, from June 2024 to May 2029. The total budget is €4,160,118 Euro. It is coordinated by Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) with the participation of Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation. It also benefits from international collaboration, including the Vulture Conservation Foundation.
