A male vulture that has been single for at least six years returned to his summer home at Meteora, Greece with a partner, to the excitement of scientists.
It was the first time that the migratory bird was seen with a female partner, the Hellenic Ornithological Society said.
As if this was not enough, the previously “bachelor of the rocks”, as they called him, became a father. The new family welcomed a baby vulture last week.
Vultures in Greece are among the most endangered bird species
The news of the chick’s birth gave great joy to the scientists and volunteers involved in the study and protection of one of the most endangered bird species throughout Europe.
They say that only five pairs live today in Greece, in Thessaly, and Thrace. The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh’s chicken, is a small Old World vulture.
Called asproparis in Greek, is the smallest of the four species of vultures found in Greece and Europe.
It is distinguished not only by its smaller size, but mainly by its white plumage, the large black feathers on the tips of its wings, its bare orange face, and the white mane on the top of its head. It is monogamous and nests every year in the same cavity, cave, or cliff ledge.
The vulture parents jointly incubate the eggs for about 1.5 months. As the egg was not immediately visible the progress of reproduction was uncertain, until in early June the head of the chick was finally seen among sheep’s hair that the birds use to build their nest.
Next weeks will be critical for the survival of the vulture chick
The Hellenic Ornithological Society says that the next few weeks will be critical for the survival of the chick, but also of the adult birds themselves.
Raising the young requires the provision of a large amount of food, which implies many itineraries in search of food by the parents, increasing the risk of finding some poisoned bait or animal in their path.
This would have disastrous consequences since it would cause either the poisoning of the chick or the poisoning of the parents themselves, as it happened in 2015 in a very nearby nest in Meteora.
Due to the poisoned baits, the population of the vultures has collapsed and it is one of the most endangered birds in Greece. In Greece today, only five pairs remain, a decline from 15 pairs recorded in 2012, and 70 pairs recorded in 2000.
“If we don’t take measures, this bird will be extinct within the next five years,” warns Roula Trigou, senior conservation communication officer at the Hellenic Ornithological Society said recently.
“The fact that five documented pairs remain in Greece essentially means that the population has collapsed…it’s very difficult to save this vulture now, but we want to at least safeguard the pairs that are left.”
To minimize the possibility of poisoning, the Society, in collaboration with Kalambaka’s Forestry Department, has been operating since May a specially designed feeder nearby. The feeder provides the pair with a stable and secure source of food, reducing the need to forage in other areas.
If all goes well, by mid-September, the two adult vultures will have left for Africa again. This time with their baby.