Black vultures breed again in rhodope mountains after 33 years
Baku, April 15, AZERTAC
Three pairs of black vultures have successfully hatched chicks, marking the species’ return as a breeding bird in the Bulgarian part of the Rhodope Mountains after more than three decades, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) said on Wednesday. The last confirmed nesting of the black vulture in the region dates back to 1993, according to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).
During Easter monitoring of the nests, a BSPB team managed to observe and photograph the newly hatched chicks.
The reintroduction of the species in the area was launched by BSPB, the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, the Spanish organisation GREFA and Rewilding Europe in 2022, with a total of 40 birds released into the wild so far, the statement said.
"The efforts are already yielding visible results, this year eight pairs have been recorded in the Bulgarian part of the Eastern Rhodopes, seven of which have occupied artificial nests built by BSPB and the Kartalsko Gnezdo Foundation. Of these pairs, four proceeded to incubation, with three successfully hatching chicks," said BSPB project manager Dr Dobromir Dobrev.
The black vulture is the largest vulture species found in Europe and feeds exclusively on animal carcasses, the organisation noted. In addition to their important role as cleaners in nature, vultures are also an attractive draw for tourists from Bulgaria and abroad visiting the Eastern Rhodopes.
The reintroduction activities are carried out under the LIFE project "The Return of the Black Vultures to the Rhodopes", coordinated by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, with the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation as a partner in Bulgaria. The project is co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme and Rewilding Europe.
In October 2025, another seven black vultures (Aegypius monachus) were released in the Eastern Rhodopes as part of the species recovery initiative.
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