The Egyptian vulture population status in Thrace, NE Greece

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• The Egyptian vulture population status in Thrace, NE Greece

Unfortunately, recently the Egyptian vulture populations have decreased dramatically over a large part of their European and African range. Human persecution, poison baits, electrocution, habitat modification and changes in livestock rearing are the most common threats to the species. As a consequence, the Egyptian vulture is classified as internationally endangered by IUCN and as endangered in Greece.
In Greece, the Egyptian vulture occurs in only few places, with more territories situated in Thrace between Nestos and Evros rivers. The Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest National Park (DNP) and its adjacent areas are considered as the last stronghold of this species in the country. The population of Egyptian vulture in the DNP has declined continuously from 17 breeding pairs in 1978 and 10 in 2003 to 5 in 2011. Moreover, 4 breeding pairs were detected outside DNP in 2011. In summary, in 2011 during the monitoring of Egyptian vulture population in the prefectures of Evros and Rodopi around 18 possible Egyptian vulture territories were monitored (known, possible and abandoned). Then 9 territories were occupied by confirmation of pair presence. From seven active nests, an incubation phase was detected in six of them. Unfortunately, during incubation one pair failed; the other pairs succeeded to hatch seven chicks. The chicks fledged well and flew with their parents in their first trip to Africa.