The 2014 fundraising campaign “Giving hope for the Egyptian vultures in the Balkans” finished successfully

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• The 2014 fundraising campaign “Giving hope for the Egyptian vultures in the Balkans” finished successfully

This year, the young Egyptian vultures will literally be in safe hands! The 2014 fundraising campaign “Giving hope for the Egyptian Vultures in the Balkans” finished successfully. We are grateful to all donors who helped us collect the necessary amount for this season!

The conservation of the life of each juvenile Egyptian Vulture is of utmost importance for us to ensure the future of the species in the country. At present, approximately 35% of the Egyptian vulture population in the Balkans lives in Bulgaria. The established trend in the country is more than alarming - during the last 30 years, the number of this species has declined by 80% and this year there are just 23 nesting pairs.

Egyptian vultures have to overcome many dangers in their nesting grounds and on their migratory route before they reach the age of 5-6 years and before they can form pair. In the early years of "marriage”, they usually do not have enough experience as parents and do not hatch eggs. Before being able to raise an offspring in the country, each adult bird in the Bulgarian sky has flown over the distance to Africa and back (8000 km) several times.

The nest guardians are armed with huge love and hope of saving the last Egyptian Vultures in Bulgaria. We not only guard the birds, but we also look after the welfare of local communities:

- The presence of Egyptian vultures in an area is favourable for the farmers: it is as a prerequisite for them to apply for special agri-environmental measures;

- Egyptian Vultures create conditions for the development of tourism in a region as they are one of the most endangered birds in Europe;

- Last but not least, their presence has ecological and cultural value, too. Its name "Ak baba" is not random. It means a sacred bird that looks after the welfare of the area; it is also the herald of spring. Egyptian Vultures have an important role in maintaining a clean and healthy environment. They do inhabit sacred places - sometimes they nest on the rocks of ancient Thracian sanctuaries.

Guarding the nests of the Egyptian Vulture reduces the risk of disturbance and poaching, which are risk factors during the incubation period. After the eggs have hatched, we monitor the nests in order to prevent the accidental falling of the chicks from the nest or the unsuccessful first flight of the juveniles. In 2012 and 2013, thanks to nest guarding four young birds were saved in Bulgaria after their unsuccessful first flight. This is about 10 % of the fledglings in Bulgaria for this period.

The donations will go towards the nest guarding of 12 Egyptian vultures’ nests during the most critical period – before the young birds’ first flight in late July and early August. About 20 volunteers will take part in the activity, including people from foreign countries, such as Canada, Lithuania and the United States.

You could contribute to the conservation of this exceptional bird by donating funds for the guarding of Egyptian vultures’ nests in 2015 here or by becoming one of our volunteer nest guardians!