A team from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria) has ringed and tagged the two Cinereous Vulture juveniles hatched this year in the Bulgarian part of the Eastern Rhodopes with GPS/GSM satellite transmitters. These are the first chicks of the species to hatch in the region in more than 30 years.
“The young birds are now two and a half months old and are still in their nests, but they will soon make their first flights. This is why the transmitters are fitted at this stage – before the vultures leave the nest and begin their independent lives,” said Dr. Dobromir Dobrev from BSPB, Project Manager of the LIFE Rhodope vulture project.
The GPS/GSM transmitters are lightweight and completely safe for the birds. They will allow experts to monitor the young vultures’ first flights in real time, as well as their movements, feeding sites and the challenges they encounter in the wild.
The data collected will provide invaluable insights into the lives of these young birds in the wild, the routes they use and the threats they face. This information is essential for guiding future conservation efforts and supporting the long-term recovery of the species in Bulgaria.
As previously reported, three pairs of Cinereous Vultures successfully hatched chicks this year, marking the first confirmed successful breeding of the species in the Bulgarian part of the Eastern Rhodopes since 1993. This milestone is the result of the reintroduction programme launched in 2022 by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria), the Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna (FWFF), the Spanish conservation organisation GREFA and Rewilding Europe. So far, 40 Cinereous Vultures have been released into the wild.
Nature is not always forgiving, and unfortunately only two of the three chicks survived. Nevertheless, every surviving bird represents a major success for the ongoing efforts to restore this exceptionally rare species to Bulgaria.
The reintroduction activities are implemented within the LIFE project “Restoration of the Cinereous vulture population and trophic chain in the Bulgarian-Greek cross-border region” (№ 101148254 – LIFE23-NAT-BG-LIFE Rhodope Vulture), coordinated by BSPB in partnership with the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, with the support of the European Union’s LIFE Programme and Rewilding Europe.
