The 2025 breeding season for Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) in Stara Planina has officially started, marking another milestone in the recovery of this species in Bulgaria. Field observations have confirmed that vultures are actively obtaining and upgrading their nests, engaging in copulations, and performing intense courtship flights, signaling the beginning of another hopeful breeding cycle.
Population recovery
After the Cinereous Vulture had disappeared as a breeding species from Bulgaria by 1985, dedicated conservation efforts have led to the successful re-establishment of a breeding population.
The first Cinereous Vulture chick hatched and fledged in 2021 in the Kotel Mountains that marked the return of the Cinereous Vulture as a breeding species in Bulgaria. The comeback continued with a second chick hatching in 2022 in Ponor and three more chicks successfully fledging in 2023—two from the Kotel Mountains and one from Ponor. Last year Bulgaria set a new breeding record with five chicks hatching in the wild.
The recovered population now consists of an estimated 16-18 pairs distributed in the Vratsa Balkans and Ponor, 10-11 and the Kotlenska Mountain and 6-7 pairs in Sinite Kamani.
Expansion into new territories
Excitingly, for the first time, nesting can also be established in Sakar mountain, close to the border between Romania and Bulgaria, where 1-2 pairs—descendants of birds released in Stara Planina—are attempting to occupy territories. Meanwhile, in Kresna gorge, where the release of Cinereous Vultures began last year, four birds currently reside. However, as these individuals are still young, they are not expected to begin nesting just yet.
Conservation efforts and future prospects
This breeding season brings renewed hope for the species’ long-term stability. We wish that as many vulture pairs as possible can successfully nest and raise fledglings.
With each successful nesting, the Cinereous Vulture takes another step toward a stable future in Bulgaria. Ongoing monitoring and conservation initiatives will be key to sustaining this progress, ensuring that the species can thrive in its historic range once again.
The Bearded Vulture LIFE Project
The “Bearded Vulture LIFE” project is a comprehensive initiative, aiming to restore the Bearded Vulture and Cinereous Vulture across Bulgaria and the Balkans. With a budget of €5.17 million, co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme, the project commenced in August 2023 and is expected to continue until 2030. Building upon the achievements of its predecessor, “Vultures Back to Life,” it is coordinated by Green Balkans, with five more partner organizations within Bulgaria, including the Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna, Foundation EkoObshtnost, EVN – Elektropradelenie Yug EAD, Severozapadno Darzhavno Predpriyatie – Vratsa, and “Sinite kamani” Nature Park Directorate. Furthermore, the project benefits from international collaboration, including the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), responsible for the translocation and safeguarding of captive-bred birds secured for release. Additionally, the partner Milvus group is responsible for executing conservation efforts in Romania.
