First cinereous vulture chick ringed in Bulgaria

After more than fifty years a cinereous vulture chick was born in the Balkan Mountains this spring. At the end of July, our Bulgarian partners ventured up to the nest and successfully ringed the young chick.

An ornithologist rings Black Vulture in Bulgaria

Mitchiev-Boev doesn't look too happy about being taken out of the nest for ringing.

© Hristo Peshev/FWFF, LIFE14NAT/BG/649
An ornithologist rings Black Vulture in Bulgaria

FWFF's Hristo Peshev with the first Cinereous Vulture offspring in the Balkan Mountains in 60 years.

© Hristo Peshev/FWFF

Cinereous vulture chicks are being born in the wild once again in the mountains of the Balkans. This wonderful news is the first highlight in the LIFE project started in 2018 to release these huge birds of prey back into the wild across the heights of the Balkans. For 60 years cinereous vultures were extinct in the region. The birth of chick Mitchiev-Boev (named after two pioneering Bulgarian vulture conservationists) is a milestone for species conservation in southern Europe.

When three pairs of vultures showed signs of courtship display and nest building in early spring, the conservationists and ornithologists on the spot were only cautiously optimistic. Having only been released the previous summer, the birds seemed too inexperienced for breeding to be successful first time around. Nonetheless one pair surprised all the conservationists by successfully rearing a chick.

78 days after its birth, our partners from FWFF took the young bird out of the nest to ring and measure it. Mitchiev-Boev weighed in at a respectable 5.6 kg. The chick will continue to be fed in the nest by its parents for a few more days before setting off on its first attempts to fly and explore its immediate surroundings. Its survival depends amongst other things on whether there is sufficient food for the scavengers and whether dangers presented by man, such as overhead power lines and poisoned bait, can be minimised.

How you can help

Donation

Future needs nature. EuroNatur cares for it. Please help anyway you can. With your donation you will make an effective contribution to protect birds in Europe.

Migratory Bird Sponsorship

Bird migration is an incomparable natural spectacle. But illegal hunting and the destruction of resting areas endanger the birds. Help make their journey safer.

News

Controversial airport construction in Albanian protected area casts shadow as far as Munich

++ Operating company Munich Airport International (MAI) is linked to illegal Vlora airport ++ Construction to take place in protected area of special…

Stork Village meeting in Tykocin, Poland

It was an anniversary celebrated in style: For the 20th annual meeting, representatives of the European Stork Villages met for the first time in the…

A slight sigh of relief for the Dalmatian pelicans

The Dalmatian pelicans at Lake Skadar are breeding successfully. This is all the more gratifying because last year's breeding season was disastrous.

Airport construction threatens Albanian bird paradise

++ Construction work for airport in Narta Lagoon continues unabated despite significant protests ++ Resting area is internationally important for…

Lead ammunition finally banned from wetlands

Good news for Europe's waterbirds: the use of lead shot ammunition in wetland hunting has finally been banned. The law came into force on 15 February…

Further opposition to Albanian airport construction

European governments request that the Albanian government suspend the construction of the airport in the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area. The main…

Environmental groups suing the Albanian authorities for the illegal construction of the Vlora Airport

Environmental groups challenge the contract for the construction of Vlora International Airport as null due to the irregularities and the violation of…

Last vultures released into the wild in Bulgaria

++ Two female Cinereous Vultures have been released into the wild in Bulgaria ++ Seven-year project has been completed successfully ++ 3rd September…

Stork village meeting in Taraš in Serbia

At long last a meeting face to face: After a pause of two years enforced by Covid, representatives from seven European Stork Villages met together in…