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Egyptian Vultures ringed in Catalonia are observed in several areas of the Iberian Peninsula
| The ringing of Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
chicks in Catalonia carried out by the Conservation Biology Group
together with the Grup de Naturalistes dOsona has already provided
interesting information on the dispersal movements of this species.
Since 2012, we have ringed up to 79 chicks, although we have not
received information on Egyptian Vultures born in Catalonia and later
observed in several areas of Catalonia and the Iberian Peninsula until
2015 and 2016.
The Egyptian Vulture
is a philopatric species, i.e., tends to breed again in an area close
to their birth area, being the reason why most of the observations of
ringed Egyptian Vultures in Catalonia have occurred near the place
where they were born. Mostly these individuals are observed at
supplementary feeding points for vultures or in landfills where
immature and non-breeding adults tend to gather together for feeding.
Up to date, we have received information on 11 individuals, most of
them in feeding areas near their breeding territories, although three
of them were detected quite many kilometres away from Catalonia; one in
Ciudad Real, another one in Navarra, and the last one in a landfill in
Zaragoza. Although none of them are breeding individuals yet, in the
following years we could see ringed individuals occupying new
territories. In addition, Egyptian Vultures born in France have been
observed feeding on landfills and feeding points in Catalonia, so it
seems that the movement of individuals among neighbouring populations
is something common.
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order to continue studying the dispersion patterns of individuals among
the various populations, as well as to have data on the survival of
these populations, it is necessary to keep on ringing the chicks of
this growing population (Tauler et al. 2015).
Finally,
we would like to thank the information provided by the different
observers spread throughout the territory, especially the members of
the Grup d'Anellament de Calldetenes and the Grup de Naturalistes
d'Osona, as well as the Biological Station of Pallars Jussā. Thanks to
the collaboration of naturalistic groups, amateurs to ornithology and
photographers we get to know this unique species a little better. We
encourage you to send us new information through our email aligaperdiguera@ub.edu indicating the ring code, place and date of observation.
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