SmartBirds
© Yana Barzova
The population of the Griffon Vulture in the Eastern Rhodopes continues to grow this year. Last week, a team from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) visited the nesting colonies of the species along the Arda River in the Eastern Rhodopes and identified 138 occupied nests. Of these, 100 pairs were engaged in breeding, while the rest were still building their nests and actively defending them from their counterparts.
© Dobromir Dobrev/BSPB
In 2024, there are 17 more pairs compared to the previous year, marking the highest annual increase since 1988 when statistics for the species in Bulgaria began. In the next three months, there will be an additional check of the occupied territories and a survey of neighboring suitable nesting sites. In recent years, in addition to the number of occupied nests, the number of pairs engaging in breeding has also significantly increased, which is a crucial indicator of the population’s status and reproductive success.
© Dobromir Dobrev/BSPB
The Griffon Vulture was once widespread in Bulgaria, but since the mid-20th century, its numbers sharply declined, and by the early 1970s, it was considered extinct. In 1986, a colony of Griffon Vultures was discovered near Madzharovo, consisting of around 20 birds and three breeding pairs. This discovery prompted the first direct conservation efforts for the remaining vultures in Bulgaria. Through the long-term efforts of experts and volunteers, the species gradually restored its population, and today the Arda River valley hosts one of the largest natural colonies of Griffon Vultures in the Balkans.
© Dobromir Dobrev/BSPB
Conservation activities for vultures in the Eastern Rhodopes are carried out as part of a project funded by the “Rewilding Rhodopes” Foundation and Rewilding Europe.
