{"id":14995,"date":"2020-12-30T14:28:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T12:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4vultures.org\/?p=14995"},"modified":"2025-05-05T15:47:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T12:47:05","slug":"watch-the-story-of-a-young-cypriot-griffon-vulture-named-kostis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/watch-the-story-of-a-young-cypriot-griffon-vulture-named-kostis\/","title":{"rendered":"WATCH: The story of a young Cypriot Griffon Vulture named Kostis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Griffon Vulture Kostis in the aviary \u00a9 Silvio A. Rusmigo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kostis’ story began about a year ago when it was still the one and only egg in a nest of a Griffon Vulture breeding pair in Cyprus. The LIFE with Vultures<\/a> project team monitored the nest since the start of the breeding period until the little one hatched and fledged. Then, the team encountered Kostis again after the bird needed help and was rescued. Now, the young bird made a recovery and returned to the wild!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monitoring activities during the breeding season\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It all began last January, when, during BirdLife Cyprus’ winter Griffon Vulture census, they confirmed the existence of two active nests on the secluded and inaccessible cliffs of a remote Paphos valley. The fact that two Griffon Vulture pairs were nesting this year was particularly important, especially because the species is on the verge of extinction in Cyprus. So, as part of the LIFE with Vultures project, the project team began to regularly monitor the two nests to make sure that the chicks were growing well and fly successfully when the time came.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Griffon Vulture breeding season lasts around ten months, starting as early as November \u2013 December with the formation of territorial pairs, and lasting until August \u2013 September when the chicks finally fledge. Chicks usually hatch during March or April after about eight weeks of incubation. They then spend around 18 weeks in the nest. As the time for the first flight approaches, the chick will stretch and flap its wings. As it grows, the parents carry out fewer and fewer visits to the nest. During the chick-rearing period, both parents deliver around 600 grams of food per day, which, according to studies, and not surprisingly, is the mean amount of food a Griffon Vulture chick needs for its development. Even after fledging, parents continue providing food to their offspring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The monitoring team watched the two chicks gradually transform from two small white “fluff balls” into the magnificent birds of prey. As the time for their first flight neared, the nest monitoring visits became more and more frequent. It was only a matter of days or even hours, after all, before that ‘take-off’ was attempted. The first chick, the one we would call Kostis a few months later, made its maiden flight in early August, and the second one in early October. This was fantastic news, since it also meant that the breeding activity of the two pairs was successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rescuing and rehabilitating of Kostis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n