As the breeding season calms down for Bearded Vultures in Europe with chicks taking their first flights and leaving the nest, their counterparts in Southern Africa, are busy looking after their eggs! Thanks to a nest camera, we can now catch a glimpse inside the secretive world of these birds, tracking their journey from nest construction to hatching and fledging, if everything goes well. What’s even more exciting is that we can watch the progress live on NESTFLIX,
Bearded Vulture breeding season in Southern Africa
The Bearded Vulture boasts one of the longest breeding seasons among bird species, spanning nearly a year from start to finish. In Europe, wild birds exhibit the first signs of breeding behaviour in autumn, with their season ending in summer. This is similar to their ‘relatives’ in Southern Africa, the Critically Endangered Bearded Vulture sub-species.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Bearded Vulture pair bonding and nest building occur in April and May. Around one to two months after nest construction and between 30 to 60 days after copulation, females lay their eggs, typically between the end of May and mid-June. Brooding duties are equally shared by males and females. If all progresses as expected, chicks hatch after 54-56 days of incubation. Subsequently, the parents jointly rear the chick, which requires approximately four months to fledge. Throughout this period, the Bearded Vulture Recovery Programme actively monitors known pairs across the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains to assess breeding activity and contribute to conservation efforts.
Follow the breeding progress of a Bearded Vulture pair’s nest in the wild
Through the nest camera, one can step into the world of a Bearded Vulture’s nest and witness a captivating scene unfold, watching vulture breeding and chick-rearing activities from April to December. This initiative offers a real-time glimpse into the breeding and chick-raising behaviours of these majestic birds, contributing towards research, conservation, education, and awareness efforts.
During springtime, the camera has captured the pair preparing and building their nest, and copulating. Their efforts proved effective, since the pair laid an egg on Sunday, 16 June. The monitoring team noticed this from closely watching the vultures’ behaviour patterns, as the female began sitting continuously from about midday on Sunday, indicating the start of the incubation process. A second egg was laid a few days later and was visible on 26 June. Ever since, the pair has been diligently taking shifts to incubate their egg, as its common for the species to share responsibilities. People watching should look out for incubation swops and the female rolling the eggs, as she does that frequently.
The NESTFLIX project, led by the Indlovu Aerial Trust (IAT), a South African conservation non-profit, in collaboration with Science Based Ingredients (SBI), a Canadian investor, and the Bearded Vulture Recovery Programme, has set up a solar-powered HD system, enabling live video streaming within a remote region of South Africa’s Maloti-Drakensberg mountain range.
Support the Bearded Vulture conservation efforts in Southern Africa – there are two ways you can help:
- Please subscribe to the Nestflix YouTube channel – it needs 1,000 subscribers to allow remote streaming.
- If you observe a nest swap, egg rolling, or any other interesting activity while watching, please share your observations in the comments.
The Critically Endangered Bearded Vulture sub-species in Southern Africa
The Southern African Bearded Vulture sub-species, residing in South Africa and Lesotho, faces a critical situation, being classified as Critically Endangered. A survey conducted by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife between 2000 and 2012 revealed alarming statistics: out of 190 recorded territories, only 109 remained occupied by 2012. This marks a staggering decline, with breeding territories decreasing by a minimum of 32% and a maximum of 51% over the past five decades. Not only has the breeding range shrunk by 27%, but breeding densities have also plummeted by 20%.
Currently, the population is estimated to consist of a minimum of 313 and a maximum of 380 individuals. However, if all 190 territories were once inhabited, the population likely consisted of around 650 individuals, distributed across the region. Today, this population is confined to the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains.
Initially, persecution and habitat loss drove the decline of Bearded Vultures. However, in recent years, the primary threats to the species have shifted. Poisoning now tops the list, with secondary threats including collisions with powerlines. Poisoning incidents occur both intentionally and unintentionally. Deliberate poisoning, often driven by misconceptions about the vultures’ diet and traditional beliefs, poses a significant risk. Additionally, poisoning is mainly unintentional, which occurs when vultures consume baits intended for carnivores. Lead poisoning has also been shown to be a problem in the population.
Conservation management plan and monitoring
A comprehensive Bilateral Recovery Strategy and Action Plan, modelled after the Vulture Multi-Species Action Plan (Vulture MsAP) for Africa, Europe and Asia, guides conservation efforts for Bearded Vultures in Southern Africa. This plan encompasses over 100 actions aimed at safeguarding the species/population. Regular bilateral meetings between Lesotho and South Africa are held to review and refine the plan’s implementation. Additionally, each country maintains a National Vulture Task Force to address country-specific concerns and interventions.
Annual monitoring of nest sites is conducted across both countries, employing ground surveys and helicopter surveillance. While not every site receives yearly checks, all are assessed at least periodically. Intensive monitoring at select sites evaluates productivity levels, while supplementary feeding sites undergo regular scrutiny using cameras or field observations. Over the past 15 years, the tracking of 25 individuals has provided valuable insights into mortality causes, movement patterns, and habitat preferences, informing targeted conservation strategies.
Mitigating threats
It’s crucial to minimize vulture deaths by employing targeted conservation actions to mitigate threats. To combat poisoning incidents, the group conducts intervention training, enabling swift responses to such events and reducing vulture mortalities. Training initiatives in human-wildlife conflict management equips officials to offer non-lethal alternatives to farmers facing predator-related challenges. Moreover, ongoing research delves into belief-based practices influencing vulture exploitation, aiming to address this threat effectively.
Identifying and retrofitting hazardous powerlines with raptor protectors and mitigation devices minimises collision risks. Collaboration with environmental impact practitioners and energy suppliers ensures that new powerline installations incorporate suitable mitigation measures. Risk models assist in siting wind farms to mitigate impacts on vulture populations.
Maintaining a database of feeding sites facilitates regular interactions with the managers of these sites to ensure safe food provision for vultures. Collaborative efforts with veterinarians ensure carcasses fed to vultures are free of NSAIDs and other harmful substances.
Cross-continental collaboration with captive breeding programme
In response to the concerning decline in the population and increasing threats faced by Bearded Vultures in Southern Africa, the Bearded Vulture Recovery Programme initiated a Breeding Programme (#Bred4theWild) in 2015. This ambitious conservation effort mirrors aspects of the successful Bearded Vulture European Endangered Species Programme in Europe, which we, at the Vulture Conservation Foundation, coordinate on behalf of EAZA’s EEP.
The #Bred4theWild programme has set out to establish a genetically robust captive Bearded Vulture population of around 32 non-related founder birds by 2026. The progeny of this breeding group will then be released into their natural habitat to supplement the wild population and ensure the survival of the species.
Bearded Vultures typically lay two eggs, but only raise one chick. This natural behaviour allows conservationists to ethically collect one egg from nests with little disruption to the wild breeding pair.
In 2015, the sole Bearded Vulture in captivity was Leseli, an adult female rescued from a traditional Traditional Medicine Practitioner. To address this scarcity and achieve their goal, conservationists have embarked on a mission to harvest eggs from wild nests to incubate and hatch. The chicks are then puppet-raised socially with visual exposure to Leseli to avoid imprinting. Thus these collected eggs, raised and nurtured in captivity will hopefully breed
Through the #Bred4theWild programme, dedicated conservationists are taking proactive steps to safeguard the future of Bearded Vultures in Southern Africa. By combining scientific expertise with a passion for wildlife preservation, they strive to ensure these majestic birds continue to soar across the African skies.