Tracking data released by Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve on the occasion of International Vulture Awareness Day revealed that two Eurasian Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) have settled in Armenia and Iraq, three years after their release from the reserve and after crossing eight Middle Eastern countries.
Vulture 536 has settled in Armenia, while Vulture 535 has settled in Iraq. After 17 months in the sky, foraging across eight countries, the birds seem to have abandoned their nomadic lifestyle, with neither bird ranging more than 100 km from its current chosen home site in the past 24 months.
The reserve said their flight patterns indicate that the birds are most likely resident within wild Griffon vulture populations in their respective locations.
It noted that settling down within a chosen breeding colony is a common behavioral pattern in Eurasian Griffon vultures. They often switch from long-distance migrants to highly localized, year-round residents as they mature, driven by resource availability and environmental changes.
The reserve stated that since its release from the reserve in northwestern Saudi Arabia in April 2023, Vulture 536 has traveled through Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Türkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Vulture 535 traversed Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Türkiye, and Iran. After this extended period of movement across the region, equivalent to circumnavigating the Earth six times, both birds have now remained in comparatively small areas for approximately two years.
CEO of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Andrew Zaloumis said: “The use of technology at the reserve is allowing us to track migratory, long-range species such as Eurasian Griffon vultures, Hawksbill and Green turtles in real time and inform management and conservation plans in ways never before possible. This tracking data highlights the importance of cross-boundary conservation solutions.”
The Eurasian Griffon vulture is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Globally, however, the IUCN reports that around 70% of the world’s vulture species are threatened with extinction.
The tracking tags fitted to both birds use biodegradable straps designed to detach naturally over time. The reserve will continue monitoring both vultures for as long as the tags remain active.
Source: Riyadh Daily