ACTIONS FOR RESTORATION OF GRIFFON VULTURE (GYPS FULVUS) IN CENTRAL BALKAN, BULGARIA
LYUBOMIR YANKOV1, GEORGI STOYANOV2, ELENA KMETOVA-BIRO1*, IVAN RADUNCHEV2,
IVELIN IVANOV1, ILIYAN STOEV1, GRADIMIR GRADEV1
1- Green Balkans – Stara Zagora – 9 Stara planina str, Stara Zagora 6000, BULGARIA, www.greenbalkans.org, officesz@greenbalkans.org
2- Birds of Prey Protection Society - 23 Golyam Bratan str., Sofia 1618, BULGARIA, www.bpps.org , bpps@abv.bg
*Corresponding author: officesz@greenbalkans.org
Keywords: Griffon Vulture, Gyps fulvus, Central Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria, reintroduction
Abstract: The current work presents the methodology and results following five years of attempts for the re-introduction of Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) in the Central Balkan Mountains of Bulgaria, practically started in 2010 within the Vultures Return in Bulgaria LIFE08 NAT/BG/278 Project.
Between January 2010 - June 2015 a total of 59 Griffon Vultures were released from the Central Balkan adaptation aviary, found at the foot of the Central Balkan National Park in the territory of the Manolovo / Tuzha Villages (UTM LH32).
At June 2015 there is a fixed group of some 7-9 Griffon Vultures constantly present in the area of release. Up to 24 Griffon Vultures have been seen at a single feeding event (10.06.2013), among them 6 wild, non-tagged ones. The feeding site is also used by Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetus), Raven (Corvus corax), Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Magpie (Pica pica) and Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis).