Iberdrola and AMUS join forces for the preservation of the alimoche species.
The Iberdrola España Foundation, in collaboration with regional environmental agencies, local conservation NGOs, and international wildlife organisations, is set to continue its project for the conservation of the Egyptian Vulture in Spain in 2026. This national initiative aims to identify threats and study the use of space by the Egyptian Vulture in the Iberian Peninsula.
The project's primary goal is to obtain precise information about the movements, migrations, and risk zones of the Egyptian Vulture. To achieve this, new taggings and migratory tracking will be carried out. In Castile and León, four chicks were tagged with GPS devices in the provinces of Salamanca, León, and Zamora, and one adult in the northeast was also equipped.
Spain hosts approximately 1,500 breeding pairs of Egyptian Vultures, representing nearly half of the European population. The Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, a supporter of the project, joins the efforts to study the Egyptian Vulture in the Iberian Peninsula, focusing on its movements, migrations, and risk zones.
Toxicological studies have been conducted on six chicks in Castile and León to detect the presence of substances such as heavy metals, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories. The main threats to the survival of Egyptian Vulture populations are poisonings, disturbances during breeding, loss of territory, illegal and poaching, electrocution, lead poisoning, and lack of food.
The regional administrations of Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura, and Navarre are also involved in the project. In Castile-La Mancha, efforts are underway to recover its populations. The project is part of a broader commitment by the Iberdrola España Foundation to conservation efforts.
The Iberdrola España Foundation, AMUS - Action for the Wild World, and the Junta de Castilla y León have carried out a key action for the conservation of the Egyptian Vulture in Castile and León this summer. A total of 10 chicks have been equipped with GPS in different regions of the country.
The scope of the project extends to the study of Egyptian Vultures' movements, migrations, and risk zones in Spain and potentially towards Africa. The project receives support from the Iberdrola España Foundation, the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, and the regional administrations of Castile and León, Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura, and Navarre.
The Egyptian Vulture, Neophron percnopterus, is distributed from southern Europe to central Asia and India, Arabia, and Africa, with populations in the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. This project is an essential step in ensuring the survival and conservation of this remarkable species in Spain and beyond.
