Abstract Vultures are obligate scavengers that have long been regarded as a systematic entity. However, phylogenetic studies show that the scavenging lifestyle evolved in three distinct phylogenetic lineages of raptors [New World Vultures (Cathartidae), Bearded, Palm-nut, Egyptian Vultures (Gypaetinae) and Griffon and Cinereous Vultures (Aegypiinae)]. In particular, the Gypaetinae show a number of special traits (territoriality, bone eating, plant food, cosmetic use) that are absent in other vultures. Whilst New World vultures and Aegypiinae are obligate scavengers and correspond most closely to the functional phenotype “vulture”, the Gypaetinae form a specialised evolutionary lineage in which the utilisation of remains left over from “real meat-eating” vultures is a central theme. Here we review the morphology, breeding biology, behaviour and ecology of vultures in a phylogenetic perspective and map the traits on a phylogenetic tree. Analysing the evolution of traits in vultures and their molecular phylogeny, the 23 species are far from being a monophyletic group. Therefore, it makes no sense to place them in a common taxonomic group. Instead, as more or less specialised scavengers, they form an eco-functional group that has developed common characteristics through convergence due to the same specialisation. Our findings show that the three vulture clades, particularly the group of Bearded, Egyptian and Palm-nut Vultures (subfamily Gypaetinae), differ greatly in their genetics, biology and behaviour. The Gypaetinae, thus, occupy a special place amongst the vultures bridging the gap with typically predatory raptors.

Human energy consumption is extremely high, and fossil fuel resources may not be able to provide energy for the entire world, as they will be depleted in the near future. Renewable energy sources, especially wind power, are expected to play an essential role in meeting people's energy demands and preventing environmental pollution. The negative impact of wind farms on the environment and biodiversity has already been proven. It is essential to take measures to mitigate this impact before any wind farm construction is undertaken. One of the species dying as a result of collisions with wind turbine blades is the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), an endangered species according to the IUCN classification. To conserve this species while developing wind energy, it is necessary to consider the species' distribution during the most vulnerable periods of its life cycle (breeding and wintering) and to install wind turbines at distances from bird habitats that minimize the harm. These distances determine the radius of buffer zones recommended for consideration at the wind farm design stage. This work analyzes the movements of juvenile birds tagged with GPS/GSM trackers during breeding, summering, and wintering periods, determines the size of their home ranges, and calculates buffer zones based on home ranges, outside of which the harm to Egyptian Vultures from the construction and operation of wind farms will be minimized.

Microplastic contamination in the pellets of the Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) as terrestrial bioindicators across contrasting landscapes in Türkiye

It is clear that scientists' predictions must be rigorous and based on scientific evidence, but, even more, it is crucial to review scientific predictions after a reasonable time. However, predictions of published PVAs have rarely been contrasted with real populations' trends over time. This is worrisome because this is the only way to keep learning and improve our ability to make more accurate predictions. In addition, conservation efforts can shift the initial predictions for the viability of threatened populations; thus, the evaluation of initial predictions becomes required over time. This is the case of the Egyptian vulture in Spain, where trajectories of real populations over the years differ from large-scale predictions. Its extinction in the Iberian Peninsula-due to mortality in wind farms, among other causes-was predicted by 2020, according to published viability analyses; yet, 14 years after this publication, not only did it not happen, but its national (and European) population remains stable and is even slightly increasing (+2.6%). These differences between predicted and observed trajectories of populations show the limitations of the simulations as a conservation tool and offer the opportunity to evaluate the used PVAs and the shortcomings that affected the assessment of the real trajectory of the species. With only four years of data available to simulate and generate 100-year predictions, along with the distribution and variance of mortality rates by collision in wind farms and an overestimation the number of pairs in risk areas, a clear relationship was assumed between predicted risk according to distances and the actual recorded mortality at wind farms, even though it is known that these are not closely related.

The present study assessed the population dynamics and distribution patterns of vultures in the Aravalli ranges of Rajasthan, focusing on Udaipur, Sirohi, and Chittorgarh districts, from October 2021 to March 2025. Standardized methods, including road transects, opportunistic sightings, and point count surveys, were employed to document vulture populations. A total of 2,788 individuals representing seven vulture species were recorded. Of these, four species-Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus), White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) were identified as resident species, while three species-Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus), Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis), and Eurasian Griffon (Gyps fulvus) were categorized as winter migrants. The Egyptian Vulture was the most abundant species, accounting for 57.35% of the total individuals recorded, followed by Himalayan Griffon (18.26%), Indian Vulture (13.52%), and Eurasian Griffon (8.07%). The lowest populations were observed for Cinereous Vulture (0.65%) and Red-headed Vulture (0.29%). Significant differences were observed in the distribution and abundance of vultures across the three districts, with Udaipur supporting the highest populations, followed by Sirohi and Chittorgarh. The study also documented marked seasonal, spatial, and temporal variations in both resident and migratory vulture species. Key factors influencing these patterns include variations in food availability, mortality of both juveniles and adults, and incidents of electrocution. These findings underscore the importance of site-specific conservation interventions and continued monitoring to ensure the long-term survival of vulture populations in the Aravalli landscape.

The recently inaugurated Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) in western Nepal has raised concerns among conservationists regarding its environmental impact. To understand such concerns, this study reviews the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for PRIA using long-term bird monitoring data, evaluates the risk of bird strikes, and proposes mitigation strategies. Our analysis reveals that the EIA overlooks the presence of large, high-risk bird species, such as vultures, in the vicinity of the airport. We calculated collision risk using frequency of occurrence along with bird characteristics, including maximum mass (MM), flocking behavior (FB), foraging strategy (FS), and flight dynamics (FD). We identified significant collision risks involving several threatened species, including the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis), White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), and Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus). Current management interventions may be inadequate to safeguard both birds and airplanes. Our study offers only a preliminary estimate of bird collision risk. We recommend that future research includes systematic surveys of bird populations and movement patterns in the vicinity of the airport. Additionally, we urge the relevant authorities to implement measures that improve the safety of PRIA for both aviation operations and the surrounding environment.

ABSTRACTSouth Asia is home to nine species of vultures, and Nepal hosts all of them. Remarkably, all these species have also been recorded in Pokhara. This could be attributed to Pokhara's location along bird migration pathways and the year‐round availability of food sources for most of the vulture species, including the landfill. This landfill site has been translocated due to the construction of Pokhara regional international airport. In this context, we aimed to estimate the seasonal abundance of vultures as well as understand the discrepancy in people's perception on vulture conservation before and after the landfill site is shifted to another location. Data were collected using key informant interviews, household surveys, and direct field observations. The collected data were analyzed employing chi‐squared and Wilcoxon‐signed rank tests. The relative abundance of the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) was found to be the highest among observed species. We found an association between people's perception toward vultures and their socioeconomic factors (age, education, and income source). Older people, individuals with higher levels of formal education, and people involved in farming showed greater appreciation for vultures. Our study revealed that the perceived threat of electrocution increased slightly after the landfill site was relocated. Despite the relocation, the old landfill area continues to provide a suitable habitat for vultures, likely due to consistent food availability and the proximity of nesting habitats near forests, cliffs, and rivers. The risk of collisions with airplanes is likely to increase in the future highlighting the need for proactive management and prioritization.

The most vulnerable systematic group of birds, which has been constantly exterminated over several centuries as perceived pests of game management, comprises diurnal and nocturnal raptors. Since the emergence of game management practices, these birds have been regarded as undesirable elements of forest ecosystems and subjected to intensive killing. Such persecution has brought many species within the group to the threshold of extinction. Out of 35 species of diurnal raptors currently documented in Ukraine’s fauna, 20 have been listed in the Red Data Book (Fesenko & Bokotey, 2007). Unfortunately, this historical inertia remains strong, as poachers continue to target raptors, particularly large species (e.g., White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, and Spotted Eagles), often treating them as hunting trophies (Bokotey & Buchko, 2017). The “remarkable” statistics were published in the journal “Łowiec” at the end of the 19th century. Over the three years of 1885, 1887, and 1888, a total of 843 eagles, 15,152 hawks and buzzards, and 5,025 owls were exterminated in Galicia. This tradition of the systematic persecution has led to catastrophic range reductions and the near-total extinction of species, such as the Golden Eagle, Spotted Eagle, and other raptor species in the western region of Ukraine (Gorban, 1985; Bokotey, 1993; Bokotey & Sokolov, 1994; Sokolov & Bokotey, 1999). We have analyzed the changes in the species composition of birds of prey in the area near the village of Peniaky (Brody district, Lviv region) over the past 100 years. To do this, we compared the materials of the birds’ collection of the State Museum of Natural History (SMNH) with those of the museum catalog of birds (Dzieduszycki, 1880), and with those of our field research near Peniaky during 1992–1998. Out of 27 species of diurnal and nocturnal raptors recorded near Peniaky in the second half of the 19th century, we have recorded 16 species (59.2%). Only nine species have retained their historical patterns of occurrence (Sokolov & Bokotey, 1999). The greatest impact on raptor populations in the vicinity of Peniaky has undoubtedly been caused by anthropogenic transformations of their habitats. Significant changes include the drainage of the large Peniaky pond, the complete deforestation of mature woodlands, including "Pamiatka Peniatska", and the plowing of all virgin lands in the area. Such transformations have strongly affected the composition of the regional avifauna, particularly of raptors, because of their heightened sensibility to anthropogenic influences. Moreover, the large-scale elimination of raptors in the 19th century, as discussed above, has significantly influenced both the composition and population sizes of these species nowadays. The collection of diurnal raptor specimens at the State Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine comprises 347 specimens representing 29 species. Because of the extensive size of the collection, the catalogue will be presented in four sections. • The first section includes representatives of the genera Circaetus, Hieraaetus, Aquila, Haliaeetus, Neophron, Aegypius, and Gyps, in total 123 specimens, belonging to 9 species. • The second section includes representatives of the genera Pernis and Buteo, in total 60 specimens, belonging to 4 species. • The third section includes representatives of the genera Pandion, Milvus, Circus, and Accipiter, in total 103 specimens, belonging to 9 species. • The fourth section includes the genus Falco, comprising 61 specimens, belonging to 7 species. In this first section, we present the data on species of genera Circaetus, Hieraaetus, Aquila, Haliaeetus, Neophron, Aegypius, and Gyps, comprising in total 123 specimens, belonging to 9 species. This collection was made between 1851 and 1939 by the efforts of the museum staff (by means of hunting and market purchases) and by the use of numerous donations to the museum’s founder, Włodzimierz Dzieduszycki. The species represented include: Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos L., 1758) – 47 specimens, Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina C.L. Brehm, 1831) – 20, White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla L., 1758) – 17, Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga Pallas, 1811) – 14, Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus Gmelin, 1788) – 8, Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus Gmelin, 1788) – 7, Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus Hablizl, 1783) – 7, Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus Linnaeus, 1766) – 4, Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus Linnaeus, 1758) – 2, Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca Savigny, 1809) – 1. A total of 103 specimens were collected from the present territory of Ukraine, 15 spec. – from the present territory of Poland, and 5 spec. – without any information on the collection sites. In Ukraine, the majority of specimens were collected in Lviv province (69), followed by Ternopil province (21), Ivano-Frankivsk province (9), Khmelnytskyi province (2), Volyn province and Vinnytsia province (1 spec. in each). In Poland, the specimens were collected in the Podkarpatskie Voivodeship (12) and Malopolskie Voivodeship (3). Among specific localities, the highest number of specimens was collected near the villages of Potorytsia in the Sokal Territorial Community of Chervonohrad District (13 specimens) and Peniaky in the Pidkamin Territorial Community of Zolochiv District, Lviv province (12 specimens). All species presented here are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. In 2024, the entire collection was digitized as part of the project “Crisis Inventory and Leap to Digitalization of Museum Records,” implemented by the NGO Tustan, the Tustan State Historical and Cultural Reserve, HeMo: Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab, and the NGO "Center for Museum Development," with financial support from the European Union. For each specimen the photographs were taken from six perspectives: front, left and right sides, back, bottom, and in the most visually advantageous display pose. This catalogue was prepared as part of the research topic “Methodological Foundations for the Expert Evaluation of the Scientific Potential of Natural History Collections,” conducted by the Department of Applied Museology of the State Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, State Registration Number 0122U001440.

The Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus is critically endangered in Italy, with only 11-14 pairs censused in recent years, most of them in Sicily. Urgent conservation actions are therefore needed to prevent any mortality and increase the productivity of each pair. Here we present a case of supplementary feeding carried out in Sicily to sustain a breeding adult male Egyptian Vulture that lost his mate after hatching on May 19, 2023. The single male took advantage of the supplementary feeding right from the beginning and raised a chick until it fledged on July 26. He also formed a pair with a new adult female that was attracted by the food we provided. The new female showed aggressive behaviour towards the young immediately after fledging. However, five days after fledgling, the young was observed flying alongside the adults, suggesting that the breeding was successful.

Wildlife feeding and nutrition are key drivers of several demographic parameters, such as breeding success and survival, influencing long-term population viability. To comply with the diet requirements that ensure offspring survival, parents adapt their forage strategies to the environmental conditions and resource availability. This is especially important for central-place foragers like raptors, where prey availability in the surroundings of nest and livestock carcasses significantly impact both foraging efforts and breeding success. Here we take advantage of 20 years extensive monitoring (2001–2020) of the Canarian Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus majorensis) on the Fuerteventura Island (Canary Islands, Spain) to assess (1) what factors drive vulture diet diversity and, (2) how the number of livestock and diet diversity coupled together with environmental conditions affect breeding success and, ultimately, the conservation of vulture populations. We identified 3,787 prey items belonging to 37 different species. Diet diversity was positively related to the number of wild prey and to low livestock grazing pressure periods. Breeding success was positively related to the number of wild prey, low herbivory pressure and, to a lesser extent, to diet diversity. These results demonstrate the importance of wild prey on Canarian Egyptian vulture’s diet, albeit livestock carcasses are the most abundant feeding resource. We argue that livestock have controversial conservation implications for this species because it provides a stable feeding resource, but, in turn, is one of the major ecosystem disruptors. Overgrazing by livestock can negatively affect wild primary consumers, which are essential for this endemic vulture population.

To obtain standard reference values of intraocular pressure measured with rebound tonometry in conscious healthy Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus). 17 Egyptian vultures presented for a routine health check, involving a full physical examination, blood film examination, Hct, manual total leukocyte count, and plasma biochemistry. 15 animals considered healthy and with no signs of stress underwent an ophthalmic examination, including observation of facial symmetry, adnexa, and direct fundoscopy to screen for ocular disease. Healthy animals, with no evidence of ocular disease and no signs of stress, were included in the study. The birds were manually restraint in an upright position for rebound tonometry of the right and left eyes. Mean and SD of intraocular pressure were 27.33 ± 3.54 mm Hg for the right eye and 27.00 ± 4.11 mm Hg for the left eye. There was no statistical difference when comparing the right and left eyes. The combined mean ± SD for both eyes was 27.2 ± 3.76 mm Hg. Rebound tonometry was well tolerated in all animals included in the study. The results of intraocular pressure with rebound tonometry can be used as reference values during the ophthalmological examination of Egyptian vultures. The investigation of vision threatening diseases in Egyptian vultures may necessitate rebound tonometry as part of a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination. Rebound tonometry values obtained from anesthetized Egyptian vultures, or Egyptian vultures restrained in lateral, dorsal, or sternal positions, may differ from those reported here.

Why and how Egyptian vultures use tools for feeding

ABSTRACT Field surveys and camera traps close to nest sites were used to study the nesting biology of a dense population of Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus on Masirah Island, Oman. Camera-trap images from one nest revealed the laying of a third egg in a nest and incubation of the clutch by three individually identifiable adults (a male and two females). Another male and two females were photographed copulating in a different nest. Behavioural observations revealed the presence of five more probable polygynous trios and another trio with unknown sex composition. A surplus of adult non-breeders was recorded at the traditional main communal roost. The high occurrence of polygynous trios within a dense population, combined with an abundance of non-territorial Egyptian Vultures, may be explained by habitat saturation in a species exhibiting a tendency for natal dispersal that is inversely density dependent.

Scavenging is a widespread feeding strategy involving a diversity of taxa from different trophic levels, from apex predators to obligate scavengers. Scavenger species play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning by removing carcasses, recycling nutrients and preventing disease spread. Understanding the trophic roles of scavenger species can help identify specialized species with unique roles and species that may be more vulnerable to ecological changes. To identify species with specialized roles, we studied three scavenger networks (one in north temperate Spain and two in central-south Mediterranean Spain) that comprised 25 scavenger species (65% birds and 35% mammals), consuming carcasses of four wild ungulate species. We characterized the trophic role of a species by combining four species-level network metrics (normalized degree, specialization, closeness, and betweenness centrality) into a single centrality metric, quantifying how scavenger species interact with carcass species within their ecological network. Higher centrality indicates the species feeds on a greater variety of carcasses and may contribute more to carrion consumption than species with lower centrality, which have more peripheral and specialized roles. The griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) and the azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) had the highest centrality. In contrast, the red kite (Milvus milvus) in the northern site had the lowest centrality, and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) was among the most peripheral species for all three networks. In general, scavengers with large home ranges and nocturnal or crepuscular activity patterns tended to have more central roles, whereas species that forage silently tended to have more peripheral roles. Changes in species' centrality between sites and the high centrality of species with large home ranges suggest that management strategies in one location can have implications that extend beyond, highlighting the need to implement coordinated transboundary protection efforts to ensure the resilience and functionality of scavenger networks and derived ecosystem services.

Keoladeo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India is long known for its rich avian biodiversity, including globally threatened and migratory bird species. The present study investigates the avian diversity and conservation challenges through multiple field surveys conducted during November and December 2024. A total of 3488 individuals representing 73 species across 34 families were recorded using the point-count method. Remarkably, 2176 individuals from eight globally threatened and near-threatened species were observed including two endangered species (Aquila nipalensis and Neophron percnopterus), two vulnerable species (Clanga hastata and Ciconia episcopus) and four near-threatened species. Diversity analysis revealed a Richness Index of 8.83, indicating high species richness, while Simpson’s Index (0.62) and Shannon’s Index (1.89) suggest moderate species diversity. Ciconiidae appeared to be the most dominant family, accounting for 62.1% of the total avian population, with Mycteria leucocephala being the most abundant species. Furthermore, a decline in migratory bird populations was observed compared to previous years and Eurasian spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) were found nesting outside the boundaries of park suggesting a shift in breeding habitats potentially due to habitat degradation. The study highlights habitat loss, fragmentation, water scarcity and human interference are significant threats to avian diversity. These findings also suggest an urgent need for conservation strategies including sustainable habitat management and regular ecological monitoring to preserve wildlife biodiversity.

The prediction of population responses to environmental changes, including the effects of different management scenarios, is a useful tool and a necessary contributor to improving conservation decisions. Empirical datasets based on long-term monitoring studies are essential to assess the robustness of retrospective modeling predictions on biodiversity. These allow checks on the performance of modeling projections and enable improvements to be made to future models, based on the errors detected. Here, we assess the performance of our earlier model to assess the impact of vulture food shortages caused by sanitary regulations on the population dynamics of Spanish vultures during the past decade (2009-2019). This model forecasts the population trends of three vulture species (griffon, Egyptian, and bearded vultures) in Spain (home to 90% of the European vulture population) under various food shortage scenarios. We show that it underestimated bearded and griffon vulture population numbers and overestimated Egyptian vultures. The model suggested that the most plausible food shortage scenario involved an approximate 50% reduction of livestock carcass availability in the ecosystem compared with the previous situation without sanitary carcass removal. However, the observed annual population growth for the period 2009-2019 (7.8% for griffon vulture, 2.4% for Egyptian vulture, and 3.5% for bearded vulture) showed that food shortages had little impact on vulture population dynamics. After assessing the robustness of the model, we developed a new model with updated demographic parameters and foraging movements under different hypothetical food shortage scenarios for the period 2019-2029. This model forecasts annual population increases of about 3.6% for the bearded vulture, 3.7% for the Egyptian vulture, and 1.1% for the Griffon vulture. Our findings suggest that food shortages due to the implementation of sanitary policies resulted in only a moderate impact on vulture population growth, probably thanks to the supplementary feeding network which provided alternative food. Also important was the availability of alternative food sources (intensive farms, landfills) that were used more regularly than expected. We discuss the computational performance of our modeling approach and its management consequences to improve future conservation measures for these threatened species, which provide essential ecosystem services.

The combination of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) technology with biomimetic vision systems has transformational potential in animation design, particularly by incorporating biomechanical principles to create immersive and interactive experiences. Traditional animation approaches frequently lack sensitivity to real-time human motions, which can restrict engagement and realism. This study addresses this constraint by creating a framework that uses Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to generate dynamic settings that include a variety of human activities, informed by biomechanical analysis. A biomimetic vision system is used to record these motions with wearable sensors, allowing for precise monitoring of user activity while considering biomechanical factors such as joint angles, force distribution, and movement patterns. The recorded data is preprocessed using Z-score normalization methods and extracted using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). This study proposed an Egyptian Vulture optimized Adjustable Long Short-Term Memory Network (EVO-ALSTM) technique for motion classification, specifically tailored to recognize biomechanical characteristics of human movements. Results demonstrate a significant improvement in precision (93%), F1-score (91%), accuracy (95%), and recall (90%) for the motion recognition system, highlighting the effectiveness of biomechanical insights in enhancing animation design. The findings indicate that integrating real-time biomechanical data into the animation process leads to more engaging and realistic user experiences. This study not only advances the subject of HCI but also provides the framework for future investigations into sophisticated animation technologies that use biomimetic and biomechanical systems.

A survey of avian diversity in a specific environment is the first step in comprehensing and categorizing the importance of this area, followed by the implementation of suitable conservation policies. Monthly surveys from the beginning of January 2015 to the end of December 2020 in Moulouya High plain, Morocco, resulted in the documentation of 136 avian species, belonging to 44 families and 21 orders. In addition, five birds of conservation preoccupation namely the endangered Neophron percnopterus (migrant); the Near Threatened Aythya nyroca (wintering) and Gypaetus barbatus (resident summering); the Vulnerable Streptopelia turtur (migrant breeder), and Chersophilus duponti (resident breeder), were observed in the Moulouya High plain. On the other hand, the comparison of diversity indexes (Margalef, Simpson, and Shannon-Wiener indexes) and compositional parameters (Taxa and abundance) displayed the maximum avian richness in forest and wetland habitats, while farmlands were the least diverse habitats. Finally, our study provides the first and only profound information on the richness of the avian species in the Moulouya High plain. Results harvested from this investigation will provide valuable data for future monitoring and conservation actions of at least the most threatened species and habitats.

Predicting climate driven habitat shifts for the Egyptian vulture in Punjab, Pakistan

AI techniques for cybersecurity are advancing, but AI-based classifiers are suspectable of adversarial attacks. It is challenging to quantify the efforts required of an adversary to manipulate a system and quantify this resilience such that different systems can be compared using standard metrics. The study intends to quantify the actions required when an attacker abuses an AI-based system and propose a model to assess the attacker’s cybersecurity resilience. The study proposes an Egyptian Vulture Optimized Adaptive Elman Recurrent Neural Networks (EVO-AERNN) model to assess cybersecurity resilience and compare it with machine learning and deep learning-based classifiers. It illustrates the potential of using adversary-aware feature sampling to build more robust classifiers and use an optimized algorithm to maintain inherent resilience. The proposed model is achieved with an accuracy of 0.995, an F1 score of 0.9932, a precision of 0.9921, a recall (before an attack) of 0.987, a recall (after an attack) of 0.632, and a severity score of 0.363. The proposed model is further validated with a secondary dataset. This study paves the way for a more comprehensive knowledge of adversarial attack scenarios on network systems and offers valuable insights, inspiring further research on advancing cybersecurity studies.