SmartBirds
The international project “Egyptian Vulture New LIFE”, coordinated by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), has won the Citizens’ Prize (LIFE Citizens’ Prize) at the LIFE Awards 2026 – the European Union’s most prestigious awards for nature conservation and climate action projects.
The awards were presented on June 3 during the EU Green Week, when the European Commission also marked the 20th anniversary of the LIFE Programme.
The award recognises not only the project’s significant conservation achievements, but also the support of thousands of people from Bulgaria, Europe, and around the world who voted for the cause of protecting the Egyptian vulture – one of the most endangered bird species on the planet.
The project brought together 22 partners from 14 countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa, demonstrating that nature conservation can unite people across borders, languages, cultures, and political differences.
“This award belongs to every person in our international team – both current and former colleagues who dedicated years of their lives to this cause. We thank all our partners, the BirdLife family, the A. G. Leventis Foundation, and our families, who supported us throughout the entire journey,” said project leader Dr. Stoyan Nikolov when receiving the award.
The Egyptian vulture is among the rarest and most threatened bird species in Europe. As a natural scavenger, it plays a key role in ecosystems, but faces multiple threats – poisoned baits, poaching, electrocution, collisions with power infrastructure, and risks along its migratory route between Europe and Africa.
Within the project, a range of conservation actions with measurable impact were implemented. More than 50 Egyptian vultures were fitted with GPS transmitters to monitor movements and identify threats along their migration routes. Thanks to specialised anti-poison dog teams in Bulgaria and Greece, over 100 poisoned baits were detected and removed from the wild. In six countries, more than 1,500 dangerous power poles were made safe, and 30 young Egyptian vultures were released into the wild as part of the species reinforcement programme in Bulgaria. At present, six wild breeding pairs formed by released birds have already been established.
Alongside field activities, the project reached thousands of people through educational and outreach initiatives. More than 4,300 students in 100 schools took part in conservation programmes, while campaigns, events, and media coverage reached millions of people along the migratory flyway.
© EU Green Week
After more than three decades of uncertainty for the Egyptian vulture in Bulgaria, the project’s results provide real hope for the recovery of the species’ population in the country.
“This project proves that nature can unite people across borders, continents, geopolitics, religions, and cultures. Together, partners from Europe, Asia, and Africa worked towards one common goal – a future for a globally endangered species. We hope that the LIFE Programme will continue to inspire and support such cooperation beyond 2028,” Dr. Nikolov added.
The LIFE Awards 2026 Citizens’ Prize is a recognition of the efforts of all partners, experts, volunteers, institutions, and citizens behind this cause, proving that collective action can change the fate of a globally endangered species.
Among this year’s winners were LIFE Danube Floodplains (Slovakia and Hungary) in the Nature and Biodiversity category, and LIFE Wetlands 4CLIMATE (Spain) in the Climate Action category, while “Egyptian Vulture New LIFE” won the European citizens’ vote.
