Cinereous Vulture Reintroduction Program Takes Flight in Spain’s Iberian Highlands

Black Vulture - aegypius monachus - Birds and Birdwatching in Spain

In an ambitious effort to restore the majestic Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) to its historic home, a collaborative reintroduction project has been launched in Spain’s Iberian Highlands. Once a common sight, this magnificent scavenger bird faced decline and extinction in the region due to shrinking forest habitats a century ago.

Organised by the Castilla-La Mancha regional government and Alto Tajo Nature Park. The initiative is a joint endeavor between Terra Naturalis association and Rewilding Spain. The project involves the reintroduction of the Cinereous vulture with seven individuals recently released after a meticulous seven-month acclimatization period in an aviary. These birds, equipped with GPS transmitters, are now becoming acquainted with their new environment.

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A wind farm project is halting the reintroduction of the bearded vulture in the Maestrazgo.

Bearded Vulture - Gypaetus barbatus - Quebrantahuesos

Environmentalists believe the Maestrazgo is an ideal area for the bearded vulture, but a wind farm project is halting the reintroduction of the bearded vulture in the Maestrazgo for the foreseeable future. Read about the Maestrazgo here: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/maestrazgo-global-geopark/ The Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture (FCQ), in agreement with environmental authorities, has decided … Read more

The Iberian Imperial Eagle: A Success Story in Conservation

Iberian Imperial Eagle

Conservation efforts have been successful in keeping the Iberian Imperial Eagle, A Mediterranean endemic species, from extinction. Between 2021 and 2022, there were 821 pairs in Spain and 20 in Portugal, an increase of 53% since 2017.

(Above photo by Photo by José Antonio Lagier Martin – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74215438)

The LIFE Imperial project

The Iberian Imperial Eagle Working Group, made up of representatives of environmental agencies from Spain and Portugal and with the advice of experts and specialized entities, has presented the results of the monitoring and conservation work carried out in favor of one of the emblematic species of the Spanish fauna, and the only endemic raptor of the Iberian Peninsula.

Between 2021 and 2022, a minimum of 841 pairs of Iberian Imperial Eagle were recorded, 821 in Spain and 20 estimated in Portugal. This data represents an increase of 53% of the population since 2017, the previous year in which a coordinated census at the Iberian level was compiled, which then offered 536 pairs.

The Iberian Imperial Eagle
The Iberian Imperial Eagle: A Success Story in Conservation – Photo by Baldo Carrillo from the Portuguese Imperial eagle project: https://lifeimperial.lpn.pt/en/

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Painting one turbine blade black reduces bird fatalities by 72%, says study

Wind turbines painted black

Sometimes the simplest solution is the most efficient! Fascinating to hear that scientists in Norway have found that painting one of the three blades on a wind turbine black reduces avian deaths by 72%. In the paper, the scientists explain why birds are susceptible to flying into rotating turbine blades and why a single black … Read more