Vultures in Europe

The bearded vulture is one of the three large European vultures. The other two are the griffon vulture and the black vulture. In the center of the photo, from left to right, are the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, and the black vulture, accompanied by ravens and other griffon vultures nearby.

Plumage of the Bearded Vulture

The natural plumage of the adult bearded vulture on the lower neck, chest, and belly is white. When in mating mood, birds of both sexes bathe in mud or puddles rich in iron oxide, which they find in nature. This causes their plumage to take on a coloration ranging from pale yellow to ochre-red.

The Bearded Vulture in Europe – Past and Present

The bearded vulture has disappeared from the continental part of the Balkan Peninsula. The last known pairs nested in the “Tikveš” Reserve in Macedonia and the “Dadia” Reserve in Greece until the late 1980s. The last known bird was observed around 2003 in the area between Greece and Macedonia

The Bearded Vulture’s Diet

Over 80% of the bearded vulture’s diet consists of bones. The most preferred are the limbs of sheep, goats (both wild and domestic), and ibex. By feeding mainly on bones and meat from dead animals, the bearded vulture is vulnerable to poisoning, as the carcasses it finds for food are sometimes deliberately laced with poison.

Habitat of the Bearded Vulture

The bearded vulture’s currently preferred habitat consists of rocky and treeless mountain ridges and slopes above the tree line. Nests are located on cliffs at altitudes of 1,200–2,200 meters.

On May 17, 2025 We Are Bringing the Bearded Vulture Back to Bulgaria’s Nature

We are thrilled to share this long-awaited moment with you — on May 17, the first three young bearded vultures will be released into the wild in Bulgaria, within the territory of the “Sinite Kamani” Nature Park. This is not only a key step in the implementation of the Bearded Vulture Life project but also a historic moment for nature conservation in Bulgaria.

The Ugly Face of Poisons

On the national holiday, we received an alert from the griffon vulture Búval, donated by Paris Zoo (Parc Zoologique Paris), equipped with a GPS transmitter, indicating poisoning in the area of the village of Moshtanets, Blagoevgrad municipality, within the Natura 2000 zone Oranovsky Gorge – Leshko. A rapid site visit revealed a cow sprinkled with poison and two dead vultures nearby.

Conservation Grazing in Kotel Mountain

A flock of nearly 1,000 sheep moves between different pastures in Kotel Mountain to influence valuable grassland habitats, which vultures in the area regularly visit. Without grazing, these areas quickly become overgrown with ferns, shrubs, and trees (succession).

Record 5 Cinereous Vulture Chicks Raised in Bulgaria in 2024

The record for Black Vulture breeding in Bulgaria was broken in 2024. For the first time in the species’ modern history in the country, seven chicks hatched in one year following the start of the reintroduction program in 2018. Five chicks survived and were wrapped with transmitters in their nests in the Balkan mountain.

15000 ha burned in Sakar

The area chosen by some of the released Cinereous vultures in Balkan Mountain for long stays and likely nesting in 2023/2024 is under fire up to 15000 ha coniferous and deciduous forests, permanent crops, pastures, houses, livestock barns, and more were burned.

Cinereous Vultures are released in the Kresna Gorge

Two of the four released Cinereous vultures have permanently settled in the Kresna Gorge, exploring the area and staying near the feeding site. They have started a core group that will attract, retain, and establish more birds of this species here.

First 9 Cinereous vultures in Kresna gorge

Nine Cinereous vultures were transported to the Kresna Gorge in Bulgaria. The birds were tagged and will be acclimated in the aviary before being released into the wild. They were donated to our country by Spain.

We are a part of the big Bioparc Conservation family

The Bioparc Conservation distributed 524,025 euros to 37 projects in 2023 to save endangered species around the world. Over 4 million euros have been donated since 2001 to conservationists and NGOs on four continents. Vultures reintroduction in Bulgaria is a part of those projects.

Remarkable Surge in Griffon Vulture Population Sets New Record in Bulgaria

This remarkable tally contributes to a national record of 523 griffon vultures, nearly half of the Balkan population (excluding islands). The combined count across all four reintroduction sites in the country—East Balkan Mountain, Vrachanski Balkan, Kresna, and Central Balkan—reached a historic high of 197 individuals.

“My job is to make sure that the bird drinks the next day”, Master Hussain

Mapping watering places mainly in Kotel Mountain and (re)create of tens of fountains with troughs, small ponds, reservoirs. Bai Husein has taken on the role of mentor to our colleague, Stamen Stanchev. Together, they are working to revitalize the once-dry troughs of ancient mountain fountains, ensuring that the cool, gushing water flows once again.

Kick-off Meeting Life For Bearded Vulture

Kick-off Meeting Life For Bearded Vulture

On Sep 25, 2023, in Sofia, we officially launched “Bearded Vulture LIFE” (#101113869 LIFE22-NAT-BG-Bearded Vulture LIFE), whose goal is to bring back the Bearded Vulture, which has disappeared from nature. It unites the efforts of 8 partners from 3 European countries.

Kresna’s Griffon Vultures Spending Summer 2023 in Rila Mountain - map

Kresna’s Griffon Vultures Spending Summer 2023 in Rila Mountain

In the summer of 2023, a group of griffon vultures from the Kresna Gorge (over 30) spent their summer in the Rila National Park and Rila Monastery Nature Park. It marked the first year of a new griffon vulture colony in Kresna Gorge, choosing Rila over Pirin.