Gyps Fulvus Research Articles

Genetic Diversity Analysis of Mitochondrial Cytb Gene, Phylogeny and Phylogeography of Protected Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) from Serbia.

Once a widespread and common species across the region of southeast Europe, the Griffon vulture is now confined to small and isolated populations across the Balkan Peninsula. The population from Serbia with 290 couples represents its biggest and most viable population that can serve as an important reservoir of genetic diversity from which the birds can be used for the region’s reintroduction or recolonization programs. To estimate the level of genetic diversity, the mitochondrial Cytb gene from 58 unrelated birds sampled during the marking in the nests was sequenced and compared to the homologous Griffon vulture sequences available in publicly accessible online databases. Phylogeographic analysis based on Cytb sequences showed that the most frequent haplotype is found in all Griffon vulture populations and that each population possesses private haplotypes. Our data suggest that the Griffon vulture population from Serbia should be used as a source population for restocking and reintroduction programs in the region. The observed genetic differentiation between the populations from the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas suggest that the introduction of foreign birds from remote populations should be avoided and that birds from indigenous or neighboring populations, if available, should be used instead.

A Global Review of Causes of Morbidity and Mortality in Free-Living Vultures.

Vulture species worldwide play a key role in ecosystems as obligate scavengers, and several populations have had precipitous declines. Research on vulture health is critical to conservation efforts including free-living vultures and captive breeding programs, but is limited to date. In this systematic review, we determined the reported causes of free-living vulture species morbidity and mortality worldwide. The most commonly reported cause of mortality was from toxins (60%), especially lead and pesticides, followed by traumatic injury (49%), including collisions with urban infrastructure and gunshot. Neglected areas of research in free-living vulture health include infectious diseases (16%), endocrine and nutritional disorders (6%), and neoplasia (< 1%). Almost half of the studies included in the review were conducted in either Spain or the USA, with a paucity of studies conducted in South America and sub-Saharan Africa. The highest number of studies was on Griffon (Gyps fulvus) (24%) and Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) (19%), while half of all vulture species had five or fewer studies. Future investigations on free-living vulture health should focus on neglected areas of research, such as infectious diseases, and areas with gaps in the current literature, such as South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and under-studied vulture species.

Determinants of the Exposure of Eurasian Griffon Vultures (Gyps Fulvus) to Fluoroquinolones Used in Livestock: The Role of Supplementary Feeding Stations

Determinants of the Exposure of Eurasian Griffon Vultures (Gyps Fulvus) to Fluoroquinolones Used in Livestock: The Role of Supplementary Feeding Stations

Measurement of Plasma Cholinesterase Levels Permits Rapid Detection of Pesticide Poisoning of Eurasian Griffon Vultures and Facilitates Early Intervention and Species Conservation

Measurement of Plasma Cholinesterase Levels Permits Rapid Detection of Pesticide Poisoning of Eurasian Griffon Vultures and Facilitates Early Intervention and Species Conservation

The composition and dynamics of the diet of the Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus) and Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) in the Talysh region of Azerbaijan

The composition and dynamics of the diet of the Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus L., 1766) and Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus Hablizl, 1783) were studied in the Talysh region of Azerbaijan in 2014-2016. For this, for 3 years, in June-July, the collection and identification of the remains of food around the nests were carried out. The remains were collected every 10 days from 15 nests of the Black Vulture and 18 nests of the Griffon Vulture. A total of 820 prey items were collected. The vultures’ diet comprised of the carcasses of 24 animal species, including 14 wild mammals, 6 domestic mammals, three reptiles and a fish. 401 prey items were collected at Griffon Vulture nests and 419 items at Black Vulture nests. 188 prey items (46.9%) were gathered in 2014, 117 (29.1%) in 2015 and 96 (24.0%) in 2016 around Griffon Vulture nests. 196 (46.7%) prey items were collected in 2014, 121 (29.0%) in 2015 and 102 (24.3%) in 2016 around Black Vulture nests. The share of the domestic animals was 17.0% (2014), 15.5% (2015) and 10.0% (2016) in the diet of the Black Vulture. The share of the wild animals was 83.0% (2014), 84.5% (2015) and 90,0% (2016), respectively. In the diet of Griffon Vulture these indicators were as follows: the share of the domestic animals was 17.0% (2014), 15.9% (2015) and 14.5% (2016), and the share of the wild animals was 83.0% (2014), 84.1% (2015) and 85.5% (2016). The research confirmed that the diet spectrum of both species in the region has narrowed over 3 years. The diet spectrum reduced by 48.0% in the Black Vulture and by 49.0% in the Griffon Vulture. It was found that the human economic activity has a significant impact on the spectrum and stability of diets of both species in the Talysh region. Therefore, in order to achieve the sustainable development of the populations of both species, it is necessary to organize regular monitoring and supplementary feeding stations. It would be desirable to make an announcement of these territories as natural monuments during the breeding season as well. The local environmental organizations and schools should be involved in the effective protection of such natural monuments.

Status and distribution of diurnal raptors in Central North Algeria, the case of Great Kabylia

In 2018 and 2019 thirteen species of raptors, with 407 individuals, were found nesting in Great Kabylia in Algeria. During this period, 196 raptor nest sites were located (Falco tinnunculus is not included as it thrives in many biotopes and tolerates anthropization). We noted a decrease in specific richness and abundance of raptors in the region compared to data for 1992. Some raptors were not seen during our study: Gypaetus barbatus, Pandion haliaetus, Falco biarmicus, Circaetus aeruginosus, and Falco eleonorae. We classified nesting diurnal raptors into 3 classes according to their relative abundance: (1) widespread species (10-26 %): F. tinnunculus, Hieraaetus pennatus, and Buteo rufinus cirtensis; (2) common species (5-10 %): Elanus caeruleus, Falco peregrinus, Circaetus gallicus, Falco naumanni, Gyps fulvus, and Milvus migrans; and (3) uncommon species (1-5 %): Neophron percnopterus, Accipiter nisus, Aquila fasciata, and Aquila chrysaeto. With the exception of N. percnopterus, which is classified as an endangered species, the raptors of Great Kabylia are mainly classified in the category of species of least concern (IUCN, 2020). Dataset published through GBIF (Doi: 10.15470/wt5dgi).

The value of transhumance for biodiversity conservation: Vulture foraging in relation to livestock movements

In recent decades, intensive techniques of livestock raising have flourished, which has largely replaced traditional farming practices such as transhumance. These changes may have affected scavengers’ behaviour and ecology, as extensive livestock is a key source of carrion. This study evaluates the spatial responses of avian scavengers to the seasonal movements of transhumant herds in south-eastern Spain. We surveyed the abundance of avian scavengers and ungulates, and analysed the factors affecting the space use by 30 GPS-tracked griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus). Griffons’ foraging activity increased in the pasturelands occupied by transhumant herds, which implied greater vulture abundance at the landscape level during the livestock season. In contrast, facultative scavengers were more abundant without transhumant livestock herds, and the abundance of wild ungulates did not change in relation to livestock presence. We conclude that fostering transhumance and other traditional farming systems, to the detriment of farming intensification, could favour vulture conservation.

Seasonal and age-specific dynamics of the Griffon Vulture’s home range and movements in the Eastern Rhodopes

Abstract The spatial ecology of the Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) has been a subject of scientific interest for long due to its conservation status, critical ecosystem role, gregarious lifestyle and complex foraging behavior. The trans-border Eastern Rhodope Mountain in Bulgaria and Greece holds an increasing population of the species and one of the largest on the Balkan Peninsula. We used high-frequency GPS data from 13 Griffon Vultures from this population to study their movements, home range size and its seasonal or age specific dynamics. The overall foraging home range (95% kernel) was 3,204 km2 and the core area of activity (50% kernel) was 256.5 km2. We found high seasonal variation of the home range size. Vultures were foraging over larger areas in the summer and spring but their activity was limited to four times smaller areas in winter. We found no age specific variation in the home range sizes but the non-adult vultures showed tendency to conduct exploratory movements far from the breeding colony. Our results can be used for planning conservation efforts in the areas of high importance for the species.

Conservation Letter: Raptors and Anticoagulant Rodenticides

Conservation Letter: Raptors and Anticoagulant Rodenticides

Models of poisoning effects on vulture populations show that small but frequent episodes have a larger effect than large but rare ones

Abstract. Vultures are among the most threatened avian taxa in the world. When vultures aggregate in large numbers to feed, poisoned carcasses can extirpate entire populations at once. In the light of shrinking numbers worldwide, restocking and reintroduction projects, where wild or captive-bred vultures are released back into nature, constitute a crucial management tool, successfully implemented in many countries. However, reestablishment of sustainable vulture populations to their historical ranges remains a serious challenge, especially if the threat of poisoning persists, which is usually the case. In this study, we model the outcome of a restocking project where an initial colony is subject to repeated poisoning events. We use as an example the isolated population of the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Cyprus. Mathematical considerations and model simulations show that the probability of colony persistence depends on the initial population size and the intensity and frequency of the poisoning incidents. This type of scenario creates an Allee effect that requires a colony to exceed a minimum size in order to survive. Also in this scenario, a sequence of small but frequent poisoning episodes is worse on average than a few large and rare ones of the same cumulative mortality. Future population reinforcement efforts for vultures should focus on the release of adult birds in adequate numbers for the successful establishment of sustainable colonies and should involve a reduction in small but persistent sources of mortality such as the poison baiting of small canids that until now has been neglected by conservation scientists.

Anthropogenic Drivers Leading to Population Decline and Genetic Preservation of the Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus).

Human activities are having increasingly devastating effects on the health of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Studying the adaptive responses of animal species to changes in their habitat can be useful in mitigating this impact. Vultures represent one of the most virtuous examples of adaptation to human-induced environmental changes. Once dependent on wild ungulate populations, these birds have adapted to the epochal change resulting from the birth of agriculture and livestock domestication, maintaining their essential role as ecological scavengers. In this review, we retrace the main splitting events characterising the vultures’ evolution, with particular emphasis on the Eurasian griffon Gyps fulvus. We summarise the main ecological and behavioural traits of this species, highlighting its vulnerability to elements introduced into the habitat by humans. We collected the genetic information available to date, underlining their importance for improving the management of this species, as an essential tool to support restocking practices and to protect the genetic integrity of G. fulvus. Finally, we examine the difficulties in implementing a coordination system that allows genetic information to be effectively transferred into management programs. Until a linking network is established between scientific research and management practices, the risk of losing important wildlife resources remains high.

Habitat preferences of the Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Bulgaria to support species management

The Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) is a large scavenger with a population ranging between Portugal and India. The species is an obligate scavenger with a narrow ecological niche and is therefore particularly dependent on, and limited by habitat availability. The study aimed, for the first time in Eastern Europe, to identify the habitat preferences of the Griffon Vulture at landscape and cliff scales. We used long-term monitoring data between 1987–2018 to analyze habitat preferences of the natal Griffon Vulture population in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. We employed single explanatory variable tests to reveal the species habitat preferences at two spatial scales. The results revealed Griffon Vultures’ high preferences towards rocky habitats at the landscape level. At a cliff scale, the height and length of the cliff, the distance to the nearest conspecific colony and the distance to the nearest feeding site were the best predictors for the species habitat preferences. We stress the importance of these findings considering the current status of the species within the region. Our results are useful to support the future conservation of the Griffon Vulture population in Bulgaria and provide a starting point for future research in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.

Intestinal coccidiosis (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) in a Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis

A free-ranging juvenile Himalayan Griffon Vulture from the Haldwani forest range division, Nainital, Uttarakhand, on detailed inspection, showed dullness, weakness, emaciation, ruffled feathers, droopy head, and watery whitish diarrhoea. It was unable to bear its own weight on both the legs. The bird died later and the post mortem revealed haemorrhagic intestinal tract. Based on the findings and microscopical examination it was confirmed as intestinal coccidiosis.

Space Use and Time Budget in Two Populations of Griffon Vultures in Contrasting Landscapes

Animals' movements integrate multiple factors, such as motion and navigational abilities, the motivational and internal states of the individuals, and environmental conditions. We studied Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) from two populations (Causses and Pyrenees, France) to determine whether they adapt their movements (foraging and home range) and their time/energy budgets to the local environmental conditions and their breeding status. We found that Caussean vultures spent 35% more time flying per day and 37% more time per flight than Pyrenean birds, landed twice as often to eat, and were 67% more active while on the ground. The distance vultures travelled in the Causses, and to a lesser extent in the Pyrenees, appeared to be influenced by the availability of thermals. Our results suggest that the breeding status of the individual, the seasonality of the availability of food resources and its predictability, and meteorological conditions can influence movements and home ranging behavior. Both internal and external factors also affect the size and shape of home ranges. However, the fact that the vultures we tracked in the Causses were breeding birds whereas most of those in the Pyrenees were nonbreeders precluded us from disentangling the effects of breeding constraints and environment.

Modelling the effect of environmental variables on the reproductive success of Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Sardinia, Italy

Old World vultures are experiencing dramatic population declines and now are among the species most threatened with extinction. Understanding the environmental variables that can influence the reproductive indexes of vulture populations can facilitate both habitat and species management. The aim of this study was to identify which environmental variables primarily affect the breeding successes of the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus in northern Sardinia by applying a Bayesian hierarchical model. A unique dataset of reproductive records (197 nests monitored over 39 years for a total of 992 breeding records) was used. Eight environmental and topographical variables describing the habitat at the nesting sites were considered as potential predictors of breeding success. These included mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, isothermality, elevation, the normalized difference vegetation index, wind speed, and the aspect and slope of the land surface. In addition, we also considered the effect of human disturbance and the type of nest. According to our best model, the probability of successfully raising a chick in Griffon Vultures was higher in nests exposed to a high wind speed, not covered by natural shelters, where the vegetation was mostly represented by shrub and pastures, with low human disturbance and in years with low rainfall. This model will be useful for management of the breeding habitat and to identify the area most suitable for Griffon Vulture reproduction. This information is crucial for programming conservation measures aimed at enlarging the area of occupancy of the species.

New insight into spatial ecology of Griffon Vulture (Gypsfulvus) on the Balkans provides opportunity for focusing conservation actions for a threatened social scavenger.

The knowledge in the behaviour and movement of endangered species is of key importance for the precise targeting and assessing the efficiency of nature conservation actions, especially considering vultures, which explore vast areas to locate ephemeral and unpredictable food resources. Therefore, a total of 51 Griffon Vultures (Gypsfulvus) from both the re-introduced population and the autochthonous Balkan Peninsula (Balkans) colonies have been tagged with GPS/GSM transmitters in recent years, in order to study their seasonal and spatial distribution. The current study presents the analysis of the high-resolution GPS location data, acquired between January 2016 and March 2021. A total of 1,138,383 locations (an average number of 23,716 ± 18,886 positions per bird, ranged between 2,515 and 76,431 of total fixes per bird; n=48) were used to estimate the home range size and identify the traditional foraging areas and roosting sites of the birds during the wintering, migration/roaming and summering periods. Our results reveal that Griffon Vultures movement activity and home range size varied considerably throughout the annual cycle, especially between their wintering and summering grounds, while exhibiting significant overlapping amongst the tracked individuals. Specifically, immature Griffon Vultures travel long distances across all Balkan Peninsula countries, but always gather with conspecifics, showing strong fidelity to active breeding/roosting sites. The total home range 95% area of the Griffon Vulture population on the Balkans was estimated at 39,986.4 km² and the 50% core area at 1,545.42 km² (n = 48). All tracked birds were found to either visit or frequently use (> 95% of the time) the same seven vulture key zones on the Balkan Peninsula – one in Serbia, one shared between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, one shared between Bulgaria and Greece, two entirely lying in Bulgaria, one in western Greece and one shared between Kvarner Archipelago islands in Croatia and the Julian Alps - Italy, Austria and Slovenia. Several smaller sub-zones were also defined within these general ones. The seven key zones form a coherent network and are used as stepping stones for Griffon Vultures during their migration movements and roaming, but also wintering and summering. The observed concentration tendency of Griffon Vultures on the Balkans and the predictability of their temporal and spatial presence should be used to precisely target, address and substantially increase the efficiency of the conservation measures in this marginal and, thus, still vulnerable meta-population.

Help from the sky: Can vultures contribute to Cystic Echinococcosis control in endemic areas?

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is endemic in Sardinia and constitutes a serious public health concern due to high prevalence in livestock and humans. Despite sustained efforts, control of the disease had been unsuccessful in the region. Problematic carcass disposal due to soaring incineration costs and free access of dogs to infected carrion are dominant factors, fueling endemicity among other. As sole obligate scavenger, griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) are uniquely specialized to eliminate carcasses swiftly and efficiently, saving on unnecessary environmental and economic costs for carrion disposal. However, following drastic population declines across Europe, griffon vultures practically went extinct in Italy. A conservation expansion program in Sardinia successfully reinforced the last remaining Italian vulture population by mitigating the main threats to its survival; food shortage. Through the establishment of supplementary feeding stations, permanent supply of livestock cadavers was provided. In this research, the management and conservation implications on the controlled disposal of carcass disposal through vulture feeding stations on the control of CE in Sardinia were assessed. During the course of the project, vultures scavenged a total of 81,361 kg of biomass, saving €90,041 in incineration costs and € 1,054 in CO2 emission. Through extrapolation of these results, a total of 5,304 kg of suspected CE infected sheep carcasses (65.3%) was calculated to have been disposed by griffons, considerably reducing the CE risk and burden in Sardinia. A quantification of the amount of biomass that could be eliminated by griffon in a succeeding conservation project was also made. These calculations implied that 162,722 kg of biomass, including 10,608 kg of infected biomass from sheep, would be consumed over a period of 5 years, further lowering the CE burden in Sardinia. Our results, driven under one health approach, emphasize the crucial and direct role of griffons in breaking the lifecycle of CE as well as their indirect role in rendering multiple ecosystem and economic services through the elimination of carcasses. Please view a video here: https://youtu.be/Tm820nPq5KE.

Long-term size and range changes of the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus population in the Balkans: a review

SummaryThe Eurasian Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus is a large Palearctic, Indohimalayan and Afrotropical Old-World vulture. The species’ range is vast, encompassing territories from the Pyrenees to the Himalayas. We reviewed and analysed a long-term data set for Griffon Vulture in the Balkans to estimate the change in its population size and range between 1980 and 2019. After a large historical decline, the Griffon Vulture population slightly increased in the last 39 years (λ = 1.02) and reached 445–565 pairs in 2019. We recorded a gradual increase of Griffon Vulture subpopulations in Serbia (λ = 1.08 ± 0.003), Bulgaria (λ = 1.08 ± 0.003) and Croatia (λ = 1.05 ± 0.005) and steep to a moderate decline of the species subpopulations in Greece (λ = 0.88 ± 0.005) and North Macedonia (λ = 0.94 ± 0.01). However, species range contracted to half of its former range in the same period. It occurred in 42 UTM squares in the 1980–1990 period and only 20 UTM squares between 2011 and 2019 and concentrated into three source subpopulations in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Croatia. Following reintroductions of the Griffon Vulture in Bulgaria, new colonies were formed at three novel localities after 2010. Regular movements of individuals between the different subpopulations exist nowadays. Therefore, preservation of both current and former core areas used for breeding and roosting is essential for species conservation in the region. However, the Griffon Vulture still faces severe threats and risk of local extinction. Various hazards such as poisoning, collision with energy infrastructure, disturbance and habitat alteration are depleting the status of the Balkan population and its full recovery. Further studies should analyse age-specific survival and mortality, recruitment, genetic relatedness, spatial use to inform the viability of this population in the future.

Long-term lead intoxication of Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus Hablizl, 1783) supposedly the result of illegal shooting

Abstract The European Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus is a large-sized scavenger exploiting carcasses of livestock and wild ungulates and thus having a paramount importance in the natural ecosystems. In this study, we report on an adult Griffon Vulture detected with lead levels in the bones over the threshold. After two years of tracking, the bird died. The corpse’s clinical examination and radiography detected the presence of two embedded lead pellets from a healed gunshot wound in its right wing. Quantitative laboratory analysis of lead in bone and liver samples evidencing subclinical/chronic lead intoxication of the Griffon Vulture could potentially be a result of the long-term exposure to the lead originating from the pellets in its wing.

Increasing incidence of barbiturate intoxication in avian scavengers and mammals in Spain

Pharmaceuticals are considered emerging contaminants in terms of impacts on wildlife. One chemical group of concern is euthanasia agents used in veterinary medicine. Here we present data on the occurrence of barbiturate intoxication using samples collected from 2004 to 2020 of suspected wildlife and domestic animal poisoning cases in Spain (n = 3210). Barbiturate intoxication was seen in 3.4% (45/1334) of the total number of confirmed intoxicated animals. Barbiturates were detected in 0.2% (1/448) of baits containing detectable poisons. The most frequently detected barbiturate was pentobarbital (42/45, 93.3%), but we also detected phenobarbital, barbital, and thiopental (2.2% prevalence for each). Avian scavengers were most frequently affected by barbiturate intoxication (n = 36), especially Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) (n = 28). Median pentobarbital concentrations detected in intoxicated griffon vultures was 27.3 mg kg−1 in gastric content and 38.1 mg kg−1 in liver, which highlights the acute effect of the chemical soon after ingestion. At least two large intoxication events affecting griffon vultures were related to the consumption of carcasses from euthanized livestock. We also found phenobarbital in a prepared bait linked to the intoxication of one Eurasian buzzard (Buteo buteo). This study highlights the need for stronger regulation of barbiturates to avoid secondary intoxications due to improper disposal of euthanized livestock.