SmartBirds
The international project “New Life for the Egyptian Vulture,” coordinated by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, has been recognized as one of the most successful conservation initiatives in the European Commission’s LIFE Programme Awards. The project brings together the efforts of 22 partners from 14 countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa in support of the globally endangered Egyptian vulture. It has been nominated in the “LIFE Citizens Prize” category for 2026. The LIFE Programme Awards recognize the most innovative and effective projects in the fields of environment, nature conservation, and climate action. Everyone can vote for “New Life for the Egyptian Vulture” in the LIFE Programme Awards here.
The Egyptian vulture is among the most emblematic, yet also one of the most endangered bird species in Europe. As a natural “clean-up crew” in nature, it plays a vital role in ecosystems, but it faces serious and complex threats — including poisoned baits, poaching, electrocution, collisions with energy infrastructure, and various dangers along its migration route. What makes this species unique is that it cannot be protected through efforts within the borders of a single country alone. Egyptian vultures are long-distance migrants: they breed in the Balkans, travel through the Middle East, and winter in Africa. Therefore, their successful conservation requires coordinated actions along the entire migratory flyway.
Within the framework of the “New Life for the Egyptian Vulture” project, numerous measures with proven impact were implemented: more than 50 Egyptian vultures were fitted with GPS transmitters to identify threats to their survival; over 100 poisoned baits were removed from the wild thanks to specialized anti-poison dog units in Bulgaria and Greece; more than 1,500 electricity poles were made safe in six countries along the migration route; 10 birds were confiscated from illegal collections; and 30 young Egyptian vultures were released into the wild as part of the species population reinforcement programme in Bulgaria. Six wild breeding pairs have already been formed by birds released through the project.
Alongside the fieldwork, the project also carried out a wide range of educational and communication activities — more than 4,300 students from 100 schools participated in nature conservation programmes, while campaigns, events, and media coverage reached millions of people along the migration route. In this way, a sustainable international network of local communities, institutions, and organizations was established, and they continue to work together for a safer future for the Egyptian vulture. As a result of these efforts, the Egyptian vulture population in Bulgaria has begun to recover steadily after more than 30 years of uncertainty about its future.
