Population decline and range contraction of the Egyptian VultureNeophron percnopterusin the Balkan Peninsula

Abstract

SummaryThe Egyptian Vulture has been classified as ‘Endangered’ due to a rapid population decline in India and long term declines in Europe and Africa. Although the species has been reported to be declining in Eastern Europe, no quantitative assessment of the magnitude or the causes for population declines are available. We used monitoring data from the Balkan Peninsula to estimate changes in population size and extent of occurrence of Egyptian Vultures between 1980 and 2013. We quantified population trends in three countries (Bulgaria, Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic [FYR] of Macedonia) to assess whether population declines are similar within the Balkan range states. We found a rapid and consistent decline of the Egyptian Vulture population that was largely similar among the three countries (λ = 0.940 in FYR of Macedonia, 0.951 in Bulgaria, 0.920 in Greece). As a consequence of population declines, the breeding range of Egyptian Vultures has contracted and the population in the Balkan Peninsula has fragmented into six subpopulations separated by more than 80 km. Population declines may be driven by factors such as poisoning, electrocution, direct persecution and changes in food availability which operate at large spatial scales and affect birds both on breeding grounds as well as during migration and wintering. Because the relative importance of threats to the survival of Egyptian Vultures are poorly understood, there is a critical need for research into causes of mortality and potential conservation actions that may halt and reverse population declines.

First confirmed case of lead poisoning in the endangered Egyptian Vulture (<i>Neophron percnopterus</i>) in the Balkans

“…The Egyptian Vulture is rapidly declining throughout its global range and is thus listed as "Endangered" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (BirdLife 2014) with populations in Europe declining around 50% the last 50 years (Iñigo et al 2008). Specifically in the Balkans the situation is worse, as the species has suffered a steep decrease of 80% in the last 30 years, at an estimated rate of 6% per year in the last decade (Velevski et al 2015). This is thought to be due to a combination of several known threats such as poisoning (Skartsi et al 2014), electrocution (Angelov et al 2011) and direct persecution in their wintering grounds (Arkumarev et al 2014).…”

“…Lead poisoning is an additional threat that may be overlooked. The establishment of facilities that can perform toxicological analysis of vultures is needed in the Balkans in order to assess the threat, since any mortality that can be avoided especially in such a small population -less than 70 pairs left in the whole of the Balkans (Velevski et al 2015) -is of key conservation importance. Lead shots and bullet fragments have been recognized as main sources of lead contamination in birds (Kendall et al 1996but see Pikula et al 2013 and some countries in Europe have developed regulations against the use of lead shot for hunting (Mateo 2009); in Greece the use of lead shot for hunting is only banned in wetlands which helps some but not all species vulnerable to lead poisoning.…”

High juvenile mortality during migration in a declining population of a long‐distance migratory raptor

“…, Mateo‐Tomás & Olea , Velevski et al . ). Owing to its long migration route and wintering areas in Africa, the Egyptian Vulture is exposed to a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic hazards along its flyway, and it is possible that factors operating outside the breeding areas are partially responsible for population declines in Europe (Grande et al .…”

“…, Velevski et al . ). Recent evidence suggests that substantial mortality occurs during migration in raptors (Klaassen et al .…”

Out of sight, out of mind? Testing the effects of overwinter habitat alterations on breeding territories of a migratory endangered species

“…During the 20th century, the population of this long-lived scavenger has steadily declined across large parts of its European and African range (Carrete et al, 2007). The causes of this decline are diverse: high adult mortality due to poisoning (Cort es-Avizanda, Ceballos & Don azar, 2009;Hern andez & Margalida, 2009); collisions with man-made infrastructures (wind turbines and power lines; Carrete et al, 2009); electrocution; habitat loss (Velevski et al, 2015); habitat change (Mateo-Tom as & Olea, 2015); food shortages; and human disturbance at breeding sites are among the main threats to the species (Margalida et al, 2012;Sanz-Aguilar et al, 2015;Don azar et al, 2016). In the north of its Spanish distribution range the species breeds in an oceanic landscape, on cliffs surrounded by dense forests, far from builtup areas.…”