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Supporting vulture recovery, so they can act as nature’s ‘clean-up crew’, is not only good for the vultures themselves, it’s also good for our pockets, according to a new study.

The tale of a tagged vulture that reaches the parts that other vultures do not…

Another annual winter Griffon Vulture census was completed with success last December, with the involvement of the Game and Fauna Service, the Cyprus Conservation Foundation – Terra Cypria, the SBA Environment Department, the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) and our team of dedicated volunteers. On the day, a maximum count of around 20 individuals was recorded, …

Griffon Vulture population remains steady according to latest census Read More »

Despite 2020 being an extra challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LIFE with Vultures team working to save the vulnerable Griffon Vulture population in Cyprus achieved a lot for the conservation of the species.  Research Population Viability Analysis (PVA) A Population Viability Analysis (PVA) was conducted to estimate the extinction risk for Griffon …

2020 project review Read More »

Kostis’ story began about a year ago, when he/she was still the one and only egg in the nest, and of course, long before we decided to give it the name we did. It all began last January, when, during our winter Griffon Vulture census, we confirmed the existence of two active nests on the …

The story of a young Griffon Vulture named Kostis Read More »

Throughout the world, vultures face severe population declines and local extinctions due to the extensive use of poisoned baits. In addition to this deadly threat, a reduction in food availability due to the decline of extensive farming (and livestock grazing in particular) and the introduction of strict carcass disposal legislation further suppresses their survival chances. …

Simulating the future of the Griffon Vulture in Cyprus Read More »

Η χρήση δηλητηριασμένων δολωμάτων (φόλες) είναι τεκμηριωμένα μία από τις σοβαρότερες απειλές για την άγρια ζωή σε ολόκληρο τον κόσμο. Αν και παράνομη σε Κύπρο και Ευρώπη, η χρήση δηλητηριασμένων δολωμάτων αποτελεί επίμονο πρόβλημα της κυπριακής υπαίθρου και αποτελεί την κύρια αιτία για την κατάρρευση του πληθυσμού του Πυρόχρου Γύπα Gyps fulvus στην Κύπρο. Στο …

Φόλες στην κυπριακή ύπαιθρο: πολλαπλά θύματα, απαγορευμένες ουσίες και ατιμωρησία Read More »

GPS tracking of big birds started in the early 90s and saw an exponential growth in recent years. In the early days, the tags were quite big and were only available with batteries, which meant that only big birds could be fitted with these tags. Today, tags are much smaller and are equipped with solar …

How GPS technology is key to securing the future of vultures Read More »

BirdLife Cyprus has been monitoring the Griffon Vulture population in Cyprus for a decade now. Last January, when we carried out the winter vulture census, 2020 was already shaping up to be a better year, but now, we have even more reason to feel optimistic, having confirmed three active Griffon Vulture nests during our latest breeding …

Three active Griffon Vulture nests confirmed during latest breeding survey Read More »

What are ecosystem services and how do birds provide them? Ecosystem services are defined as the contributions that ecosystems (i.e. living systems) make to human well-being, according to the European Environment Agency’s Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). Essentially, they directly or indirectly support our survival and quality of life. There are three main …

Ecosystem service provision – what do vultures do for us and the environment? Read More »