SmartBirds
© Bogdan Boev
Six additional Cinereous vultures, transported from Spain, arrived last week in the Rhodope Mountains rewilding landscape. The first group of these vultures arrived in the Rhodopes in 2022, and now a total of 16 birds are living freely in the area.
The newly arrived group will join the previously released birds in the spring of 2025, to form a colony in Bulgaria. “This will support the survival of the species in the Balkans by directly reinforcing the natural population in Greece and creating a new one in the Bulgarian part of the mountains,” said Dr. Dobromir Dobrev, project coordinator. “The long-term goal is to support the recovery of the Black vulture in its former breeding grounds.”
© Ivo Danchev
The 3,300-kilometer journey of these rare birds across Europe took three days, after they were carefully placed in individual shipping boxes and transported to their new home. A team of experts from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) will monitor the vultures over the coming days to ensure their adaptation proceeds smoothly and that they remain in good health. The birds have been temporarily placed in a specially constructed adaptation aviary, where they will spend the next few months acclimatizing to their new environment.
The Black vultures were provided by the Spanish NGO GREFA (Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona), which has extensive experience in rescuing and rehabilitating injured wild birds. “The reintroduction of endangered species is strictly regulated and coordinated on an international scale to maximize the effectiveness of these conservation efforts. BSPB and Rewilding Rhodopes have been working with their international partners for six years to see these majestic birds return to Bulgaria,” said Dr. Dobrev.
© Ivo Danchev
The Cinereous (Black) vulture is one of the rarest birds in the Balkans. While the species was once widespread in Bulgaria, it disappeared as a breeding species around 25 years ago. In the 1980s, several pairs were recorded in the Eastern Rhodopes, with the last permanently nesting pair documented near the Studen Kladenets reservoir in 1993. The Dadia National Park in Greece is home to the last natural colony of Black vultures in the Balkans. Although the colony numbers 35 pairs, its limited size and population growth rates mean that natural dispersion is unlikely. For this reason, BSPB and Rewilding Rhodopes launched an initiative to reintroduce the species in recent years.
© Ivo Danchev
The vultures released over the past two years are adapting well to their new home in the Eastern Rhodopes. “The site was chosen after a specific scientific study on the suitability of the territory for this activity,” explained Dr. Dobrev. However, challenges remain, as some birds have died due to poaching, poisoning, collisions with power lines, and wind turbines. Reducing these threats is the primary goal of the LIFE project “The Return of the Cinereous Vultures to the Rhodopes,” which in Bulgaria is carried out by the BSPB in cooperation with Rewilding Rhodopes. The project (No. 101148254 — LIFE23-NAT-BG-LIFE Rhodope Vulture) is co-financed by the LIFE program of the European Union and Rewilding Europe.
