Consolidating and expanding the Cinereous Vulture population in Portugal and western Spain

Introduction

The long-term project goal is to secure the favourable conservation status of the Cinereous Vulture in Portugal by consolidating, enhancing, and accelerating the ongoing natural recolonisation of the species. This will be achieved by improving its habitat and foraging conditions, limiting threats, and developing national capacities.

Short-term Objectives

In the short term, this project will:

1. Double the breeding population in Portugal from 40 pairs in 4 colonies to at least 80 pairs in 5 sites.
2. Increase the breeding success in Portugal from 0.38 (too low for a viable population) to 0.5+.

Ultimately, this project aims to improve the conservation status of the Cinereous Vulture (CV) in Portugal, with the goal of downgrading the national status from Critically Endangered to Endangered by the end of the project.

Current Challenges

Currently, the Portuguese breeding colonies are very fragile, with low productivity. They are threatened by several factors, including:

• Destruction by increasing forest fires.
• Illegal use of poison.
• Limited food availability due to sanitary restrictions and scarce wild herbivore populations.
• Consumption of unsafe food resources (contaminated by veterinary drugs or lead from hunting ammunition).
• Human disturbance during the breeding season.
• Death by collision/electrocution in power lines.

These factors pose major threats to the viability of the species in Portugal.

Habitat Management Strategies

To address these challenges, we will implement several habitat management strategies:

1. Manage the habitat to prevent forest fires in the current colonies.
2. Improve food availability through the establishment and mainstreaming of novel unfenced feeding areas in Portugal.
3. Reduce the risk of lead intoxication by securing a permanent transition to non-lead ammunition in several hunting estates.
4. Significantly reduce disturbance around the colonies.
5. Manage habitat around existing and potential new colonies in Portugal and in nearby Spanish sites to promote range expansion, the establishment of new colonies, and connectivity.

These strategies will secure the solid and sustainable expansion of the species in Portugal.