Herdade do Monte da Ribeira, the national authority, and LIFE Aegypius Return partners join forces to protect this endangered species.
Last june, the fifth breeding colony of the Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) in Portugal was discovered at Herdade do Monte da Ribeira, in Vidigueira, Southern Portugal, by technicians from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF). The discovery, mid breeding season, made detailed monitoring impossible in order to avoid disturbing the birds. Collaboration to monitor the colony and implement other conservation efforts will be reinforced in 2025, under the LIFE Aegypius Return project.
Herdade do Monte da Ribeira, a peaceful retreat
Herdade do Monte da Ribeira (HMR), an estate with around 1100 hectares, produces wine and olive oil, but also includes conservation areas that spread across the Mendro mountain range. These peaceful areas provide a calm refuge for many bird species, including threatened and protected species such as the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the Cinereous Vulture. The large stone pines (Pinus pinea), scattered throughout the valleys, are a real invitation for Cinereous Vultures to nest. All the more so as the forest also guarantees food, with Red and Fallow Deer in abundance.
Assessing the colony’s true scope
In 2024, the discovery of the first nest – already home to a well-developed chick –was followed by the detection of four others, though without clear evidence of reproduction. So five nests are known, but only one breeding pair has been confirmed. The chick was tagged in July with a GPS/GSM transmitter, which revealed that it began flying in early September. At the end of August, another fledgling was found near Vidigueira, though in a weakened state. This chick was rescued by the ICNF and taken to CERAS (Center for the Study and Recovery of Wild Animals, in Castelo Branco) for rehabilitation. The discovery of this chick, so close to the HMR colony, raises the possibility of additional breeding pairs in the region. Being undoubtedly the newest and smallest Cinereous Vulture breeding colony in Portugal, it is crucial to study it further and monitor its development closely.
Pousio, the faithful vulture
The only Cinereous Vulture chick confirmed in HMR's colony in 2024 is a young male who has been named Pousio. Since taking flight, he has remained remarkably loyal to his territory, never venturing more than 20 km from the nest. The LIFE Aegypius Return team is closely monitoring this particular vulture due to the proximity of a high-voltage power line near the nest, posing a significant risk of collision-related mortality. This is yet another reason why it is crucial to monitor this colony with great care. In 2025, if more chicks are found, further tagging efforts will be undertaken to gather additional data on this new settlement area for the species.
Joining forces to conserve the Cinereous Vulture
The 2025 breeding season, which has already begun, was carefully prepared with enhanced interinstitutional collaboration under the LIFE Aegypius Return project. HMR will receive support from the Liga para a Protecção da Natureza (LPN) and, of course, ICNF, the national authority, to guarantee the prospecting of the land and the monitoring of the Cinereous Vulture colony. The collaboration with the LIFE Aegypius Return project also involves discussing supplementary feeding measures for the vultures and supporting the managers of the estate and its hunting activity in the transition to using lead-free ammunition.
ANPC, the national association of rural landowners, of which HMR is a member and a LIFE Aegypius Return consortium partner, will soon be organising theoretical and practical training sessions across the country. These aim to raise awareness within the hunting sector about the issues of lead contamination – in wildlife and human health – and promote the use of alternative, lead-free ammunition.
Finally, Herdade da Contenda, a municipal company that is also a partner in the LIFE Aegypius Return project, will receive a visit from HMR representatives to exchange experiences in the management of properties with agricultural, forestry and hunting aptitudes, while aligning these activities with nature conservation, particularly for the Cinereous Vulture.
The monitoring of this colony, which is the westernmost in the Cinereous Vulture's global distribution area, thus stands as an example of cross-sector collaboration for the conservation of an endangered species.
The LIFE Aegypius Return project is co-financed by the European Union's LIFE programme. Its success depends on the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders and the collaboration of the partners: the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), the coordinating beneficiary, and local partners Palombar - Conservation of Nature and Rural Heritage (with co-funding from Viridia - Conservation in Action), Herdade da Contenda, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds, the Transhumance and Nature Association the the League for the Protection of Nature, ,Naturaleza y Hombre Foundation, the National Republican Guard and the National Association of Rural Owners of Game Management and Biodiversity.
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