{"id":41276,"date":"2026-01-09T13:30:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T11:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/?p=41276"},"modified":"2026-01-09T13:30:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T11:30:37","slug":"using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/pt\/life-aegypius-return\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LIFE Aegypius Return<\/a>\u00a0spin-off project has been approved to link scientific research with community impact in Southern Portugal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What if studying what lives inside a vulture&#8217;s oral-faecal&nbsp;route could help protect both wildlife and people? The new project, &#8220;NECROBIOME \u2013 Microbiome of the Cinereous Vulture to Support Integrated Ecosystem Management in&nbsp;Baixo&nbsp;Alentejo,&#8221; connects&nbsp;cutting-edge&nbsp;scientific research with tangible benefits for local communities and landscapes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grounded in the One Health approach, which recognizes that animal, human, and environmental health are deeply connected, the project will explore new thematic areas and lay the foundation for future initiatives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"http:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-1024x680.jpeg\" alt=\"Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) at a feeding ground for scavenging birds. \u00a9 Bruno Berthemy\/VCF\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-39280\" style=\"width:699px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-1024x680.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-300x199.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-768x510.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-18x12.jpeg 18w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg 1299w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) at a feeding ground for scavenging birds. \u00a9 Bruno Berthemy\/VCF\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vulture&#8217;s role in the ecosystems\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine a natural clean-up crew that has been recycling nutrients and removing carcasses from habitats for millions of years.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/ecosystem-services-and-the-role-of-vultures\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">That&#8217;s what vultures do<\/a>; however, many questions&nbsp;remain&nbsp;about how exactly&nbsp;they\u2019ve&nbsp;been helping prevent disease spread.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While we know they reduce harmful microbes by efficiently removing carcasses from the ecosystems, we still&nbsp;don&#8217;t&nbsp;fully understand how this process works and how vultures naturally handle the microorganisms they&nbsp;encounter, some of which highly pathogenic, while feeding.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the microbiome and why is it central to this project?\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A microbiome is the community of microorganisms &#8211; bacteria, fungi, and viruses &#8211; that live together in a specific environment like soil, the gut, or skin. Think of it as a tiny ecosystem within an ecosystem. Microbiomes can become highly specialized when shaped by internal or external factors &#8211; host-related traits, behavioral patterns, evolution, and environmental conditions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vultures are the perfect candidates to have specialized microbiomes: their highly acidic stomachs, robust immune system, and scavenger diet foster a unique microbiome that allows them to eat decomposing meat without getting sick.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NECROBIOME project will analyze Cinereous Vultures&#8217; oral cavities and cloacal microbiomes along with samples from carcasses and surrounding soils. By understanding what happens to bacteria inside a&nbsp;vulture\u2019s&nbsp;gastrointestinal system, we can better appreciate how these birds contribute to disease regulation and nutrient upcycling in nature.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NECROBIOME will study more than 60 samples collected mostly from Cinereous Vulture chicks during tagging operations&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Protocol-for-collecting-bioligical-samples-from-Cinereous-Vultures-Portuguese.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">under the LIFE Aegypius Return project<\/a>. Following the journey of microbes &#8211; from what enters a vulture body, to what happens inside, to what eventually comes out &#8211; the project&nbsp;seeks&nbsp;to uncover the biological machinery that allows vultures to survive, and thrive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vultures and the One Health approach\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>La&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/health-topics\/one-health#tab=tab_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>One Health<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;approach is a collaborative, multisectoral approach that recognizes how human, animal, and ecosystem health are interconnected. This approach promotes coordinated action across disciplines to address shared health challenges that&nbsp;emerge&nbsp;at these interfaces, such as antibiotic resistance (AMR), food safety, and emerging infectious diseases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When one system is destabilized, it can create ripple effects across the&nbsp;others. History has shown us this pattern repeatedly. For example,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/1748-9326\/ac8e1d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">malaria infections increased after the collapse of amphibian populations in Central America<\/a>; or, closer to our subject,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/papers.ssrn.com\/sol3\/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4318579\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rabies cases surged in India when vulture populations collapsed<\/a>. Also, the recent detection of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0147957122001825\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria isolated from vultures<\/a>&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;how human activity already affects wildlife health.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Portugal, supplementary feeding sites are essential for Cinereous Vulture populations,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Deliverable-D4.1-DiagnosticoEstrategia.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as natural food sources alone are not sufficient<\/a>. This means conservation initiatives will continue providing supplementary feeding with animal by-products such as livestock carcasses and game&nbsp;remains&nbsp;from hunting operations, at least in the short term. By better understanding vultures&#8217; feeding strategies and intrinsic biological mechanisms, including if and how they neutralize potential pathogens, we can more effectively protect both vultures and public health, while supporting the optimization of how we provide supplementary food.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When vultures thrive, ecosystems stay healthier, and so do we. Vultures are therefore a key species to study from an integrated perspective. NECROBIOME brings the One Health approach to life, integrating science, environment, and community knowledge to develop sustainable conservation strategies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"http:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Cinereous-Vultures-feeding_Bruno-Berthemy-Vulture-Conservation-Foundation-1024x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26151\" style=\"width:738px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Cinereous-Vultures-feeding_Bruno-Berthemy-Vulture-Conservation-Foundation-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Cinereous-Vultures-feeding_Bruno-Berthemy-Vulture-Conservation-Foundation-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Cinereous-Vultures-feeding_Bruno-Berthemy-Vulture-Conservation-Foundation-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Cinereous-Vultures-feeding_Bruno-Berthemy-Vulture-Conservation-Foundation-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Cinereous-Vultures-feeding_Bruno-Berthemy-Vulture-Conservation-Foundation-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Cinereous-Vultures-feeding_Bruno-Berthemy-Vulture-Conservation-Foundation-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cinereous\u00a0Vultures\u00a0feeding\u00a0(<em>Aegypius\u00a0monachus<\/em>) \u00a9 Bruno\u00a0Berthemy\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Herdade\u00a0da\u00a0Contenda\u00a0as a strategic partner\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>NECROBIOME will work closely with&nbsp;Herdade&nbsp;da&nbsp;Contenda, also a LIFE Aegypius Return partner. Located in&nbsp;Baixo&nbsp;Alentejo, in southeastern Portugal, this estate hosts one of only five Cinereous Vulture breeding colonies in the country, which is&nbsp;monitored&nbsp;by the estate staff with&nbsp;a strong support&nbsp;from the NGO League for the Protection of Nature (LPN). Both organizations also manage a supplementary Feeding Station for Scavenger Birds and two recently approved&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/first-vultures-feeding-areas-southern-portugal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Farm Feeding Stations<\/a>, supporting vultures foraging and feeding.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of a Special Protection Area (SPA, under the Birds Directive),&nbsp;Herdade&nbsp;da&nbsp;Contenda&nbsp;allows NECROBIOME to study vultures in a wild but safe environment,&nbsp;essentially creating&nbsp;a life-sized natural laboratory.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"444\" height=\"297\" src=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41281\" style=\"width:576px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-6.png 444w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-6-300x201.png 300w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-6-18x12.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 444px) 100vw, 444px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cinereous Vulture (<em>Aegypius monachus<\/em>) in\u00a0Herdade\u00a0da\u00a0Contenda\u00a0\u00a9 F\u00e1bio Moreira\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Herdade&nbsp;da&nbsp;Contenda, and the wider&nbsp;Baixo&nbsp;Alentejo region, is also a hotspot for human\u2013livestock\u2013wildlife interface interactions. It is a typical rural landscape where extensive livestock farming, hunting, and wildlife conservation coexist. The area is&nbsp;predominantly composed&nbsp;of&nbsp;dehesa-like systems, oak and pine woodlands with scattered trees and grassland, that support local traditional farming, forestry, and grazing. From a One Health perspective, this makes the region ideal for testing approaches and best practices that&nbsp;benefit&nbsp;people, animals, and nature.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From science to society: empowering communities with knowledge\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Science only matters if it reaches the people who need it. NECROBIOME would not be a successful initiative without a strong plan to create&nbsp;real&nbsp;social and economic impacts in local communities. Resilient and thriving territories depend on engagement at the community level, and this initiative is putting that into practice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project will promote integrated Public and Animal Health by developing training programs for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.woah.org\/en\/advancing-community-animal-health-workers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Community Animal Health Workers<\/a>&nbsp;(CAHWs), following the model recognized by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.woah.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World Organisation for Animal Health<\/a>&nbsp;(WOAH). Key community members &#8211; such as local farmers, hunters, property&nbsp;managers&nbsp;or other local stakeholders that engage with livestock\/game species daily &#8211; will be trained in the fundamental principles of animal health, individual protection, and the One Health approach. These trained individuals can play a critical role in disease early warning systems, flagging sick animals or suspicious outbreak events,&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;animal health, and supporting the implementation of broader One Health strategies.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project will also work closely with local staff to produce a Manual of Good Practices for occupational health and safety, empowering safer working conditions within the context of traditional&nbsp;agrosilvopastoral&nbsp;practices.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NECROBIOME tackles challenges on multiple fronts, turning research into action. By democratizing knowledge, it empowers local communities and stakeholders to safeguard habitats for both people and wildlife. At the same time, it will help to shape the policies and regulations of tomorrow, ensuring that humans, wildlife, and nature can thrive together.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Funding and collaboration\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>NECROBIOME is funded by&nbsp;Funda\u00e7\u00e3o&nbsp;&#8220;la Caixa&#8221; under the &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/fundacaolacaixa.pt\/pt\/concurso-promove\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Promove. O futuro do interior 2025<\/a>&#8221;&nbsp;programme. The project brings together an interdisciplinary team: coordinated by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF)<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.up.pt\/fcup\/pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto<\/a>&nbsp;(FCUP), and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.herdadedacontenda.pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Herdade da Contenda.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a budget of \u20ac192,000, the LIFE Aegypius Return spin-off project started in November 2025 and will run until October 2028, with findings expected to inform both biodiversity conservation strategies and Public Health policy across European landscapes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project will also fund a full-time PhD student \u2013 the first hosted within the VCF team &#8211; ensuring scientific publication and wide dissemination of the knowledge produced.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About&nbsp;LIFE&nbsp;Aegypius&nbsp;Return&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"406\" height=\"120\" src=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.png 406w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-300x89.png 300w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-18x5.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 406px) 100vw, 406px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The LIFE Aegypius Return project is co-financed by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/cinea.ec.europa.eu\/programmes\/life_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">European Union&#8217;s LIFE programme<\/a>. Its success depends on the involvement of all the relevant&nbsp;<em>stakeholders&nbsp;<\/em>and the collaboration of the partners: the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF)<\/a>, the coordinating beneficiary, and the local partners&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.palombar.pt\/pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Palombar &#8211; Conservation of Nature and Rural Heritage<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.herdadedacontenda.pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Herdade da Contenda<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.spea.pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lpn.pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">League for the Protection of Nature,<\/a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/atnatureza\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Transhumance and Nature Association<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lpn.pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nature<\/a>&nbsp;y&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/fnyh.org\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Humanity Foundation<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gnr.pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the National Republican Guard<\/a>&nbsp;y&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/anpc.pt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the National Association of Rural Owners of Game Management and Biodiversity<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"687\" height=\"174\" src=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png 687w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3-300x76.png 300w, https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3-18x5.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 687px) 100vw, 687px\" \/><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A\u00a0LIFE Aegypius Return\u00a0spin-off project has been approved to link scientific research with community impact in Southern Portugal What if studying what lives inside a vulture&#8217;s oral-faecal&nbsp;route could help protect both wildlife and people? The new project, &#8220;NECROBIOME \u2013 Microbiome of the Cinereous Vulture to Support Integrated Ecosystem Management in&nbsp;Baixo&nbsp;Alentejo,&#8221; connects&nbsp;cutting-edge&nbsp;scientific research with tangible benefits for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":39280,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[410,14,167,411],"class_list":["post-41276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-2026-01","tag-cinereousvulture","tag-lifeaegypiusreturn","tag-necrobiome"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0 - Vulture Conservation Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What if studying what lives inside a vulture&#039;s oral-faecal\u00a0route could help protect both wildlife and people? The new project, &quot;NECROBIOME \u2013 Microbiome of the Cinereous Vulture to Support Integrated Ecosystem Management in\u00a0Baixo\u00a0Alentejo,&quot; connects\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0scientific research with tangible benefits for local communities and landscapes.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_ES\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0 - Vulture Conservation Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What if studying what lives inside a vulture&#039;s oral-faecal\u00a0route could help protect both wildlife and people? The new project, &quot;NECROBIOME \u2013 Microbiome of the Cinereous Vulture to Support Integrated Ecosystem Management in\u00a0Baixo\u00a0Alentejo,&quot; connects\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0scientific research with tangible benefits for local communities and landscapes.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Vulture Conservation Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-09T11:30:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-09T11:30:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1299\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"863\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"lida\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Escrito por\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"lida\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Tiempo de lectura\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutos\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"lida\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#\/schema\/person\/32e5b44f5a981906f2415055a8fd4c2d\"},\"headline\":\"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-09T11:30:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-09T11:30:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/\"},\"wordCount\":1454,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"2026-01\",\"cinereousvulture\",\"LIFEAegypiusreturn\",\"necrobiome\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"es\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/\",\"name\":\"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0 - Vulture Conservation Foundation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-09T11:30:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-09T11:30:37+00:00\",\"description\":\"What if studying what lives inside a vulture's oral-faecal\u00a0route could help protect both wildlife and people? The new project, \\\"NECROBIOME \u2013 Microbiome of the Cinereous Vulture to Support Integrated Ecosystem Management in\u00a0Baixo\u00a0Alentejo,\\\" connects\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0scientific research with tangible benefits for local communities and landscapes.\u00a0\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg\",\"width\":1299,\"height\":863,\"caption\":\"Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) at a feeding ground for scavenging birds. \u00a9 Bruno Berthemy\/VCF\u00a0\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/\",\"name\":\"Vulture Conservation Foundation\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"es\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Vulture Conservation Foundation\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo.svg\",\"width\":522.503,\"height\":154.297,\"caption\":\"Vulture Conservation Foundation\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#\/schema\/person\/32e5b44f5a981906f2415055a8fd4c2d\",\"name\":\"lida\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/author\/lida\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0 - Vulture Conservation Foundation","description":"What if studying what lives inside a vulture's oral-faecal\u00a0route could help protect both wildlife and people? The new project, \"NECROBIOME \u2013 Microbiome of the Cinereous Vulture to Support Integrated Ecosystem Management in\u00a0Baixo\u00a0Alentejo,\" connects\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0scientific research with tangible benefits for local communities and landscapes.\u00a0","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/","og_locale":"es_ES","og_type":"article","og_title":"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0 - Vulture Conservation Foundation","og_description":"What if studying what lives inside a vulture's oral-faecal\u00a0route could help protect both wildlife and people? The new project, \"NECROBIOME \u2013 Microbiome of the Cinereous Vulture to Support Integrated Ecosystem Management in\u00a0Baixo\u00a0Alentejo,\" connects\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0scientific research with tangible benefits for local communities and landscapes.\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/","og_site_name":"Vulture Conservation Foundation","article_published_time":"2026-01-09T11:30:36+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-09T11:30:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1299,"height":863,"url":"http:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"lida","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Escrito por":"lida","Tiempo de lectura":"7 minutos"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/"},"author":{"name":"lida","@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#\/schema\/person\/32e5b44f5a981906f2415055a8fd4c2d"},"headline":"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0","datePublished":"2026-01-09T11:30:36+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-09T11:30:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/"},"wordCount":1454,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg","keywords":["2026-01","cinereousvulture","LIFEAegypiusreturn","necrobiome"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"es"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/","url":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/","name":"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0 - Vulture Conservation Foundation","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-01-09T11:30:36+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-09T11:30:37+00:00","description":"What if studying what lives inside a vulture's oral-faecal\u00a0route could help protect both wildlife and people? The new project, \"NECROBIOME \u2013 Microbiome of the Cinereous Vulture to Support Integrated Ecosystem Management in\u00a0Baixo\u00a0Alentejo,\" connects\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0scientific research with tangible benefits for local communities and landscapes.\u00a0","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"es","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es","@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg","width":1299,"height":863,"caption":"Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) at a feeding ground for scavenging birds. \u00a9 Bruno Berthemy\/VCF\u00a0"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/using-the-cinereous-vulture-microbiome-to-strengthen-public-and-animal-health\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Using the Cinereous Vulture microbiome to strengthen\u00a0public and animal health\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/","name":"Vulture Conservation Foundation","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"es"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#organization","name":"Vulture Conservation Foundation","url":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"es","@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo.svg","width":522.503,"height":154.297,"caption":"Vulture Conservation Foundation"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/#\/schema\/person\/32e5b44f5a981906f2415055a8fd4c2d","name":"lida","url":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/author\/lida\/"}]}},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg",1299,863,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-300x199.jpeg",300,199,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-768x510.jpeg",768,510,true],"large":["https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-1024x680.jpeg",1024,680,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg",1299,863,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3.jpeg",1299,863,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/4vultures.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-3-18x12.jpeg",18,12,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"lida","author_link":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/author\/lida\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A\u00a0LIFE Aegypius Return\u00a0spin-off project has been approved to link scientific research with community impact in Southern Portugal What if studying what lives inside a vulture&#8217;s oral-faecal&nbsp;route could help protect both wildlife and people? The new project, &#8220;NECROBIOME \u2013 Microbiome of the Cinereous Vulture to Support Integrated Ecosystem Management in&nbsp;Baixo&nbsp;Alentejo,&#8221; connects&nbsp;cutting-edge&nbsp;scientific research with tangible benefits for&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41276"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41282,"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41276\/revisions\/41282"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}