Rewilding efforts mean the cinereous vulture — one of Europe’s most majestic bird species — is becoming more common in the skies above the Iberian Highlands and Rhodope Mountains. Photo Credit: Juan Carlos Muñoz / Rewilding Europe
Animals BulgariaThese Giant Birds Are Making a Giant Comeback
Spain and Bulgaria have released new cinereous vultures into the wild, marking a major step in restoring one of Europe’s largest scavenging birds to landscapes where it vanished decades ago.
“The birds already released are forming pairs and settling well, which gives us real confidence that breeding will follow,” said Dr Dobromir Dobrev, vulture expert at the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds.
In Spain, 16 cinereous vultures were released in the Iberian Highlands in the largest single release since the programme began in 2020, bringing the total there to 37 birds. In Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains, seven more vultures joined a growing population, with 27 released since 2022 and several pairs already occupying nests. Cinereous vultures play a vital role by removing carcasses, limiting disease spread and recycling nutrients, while also supporting nature-based tourism in rural areas. Fitted with GPS trackers and supported by feeding stations and nesting platforms, the birds are now helping rebuild healthy ecosystems and expand the species’ European breeding range beyond its stronghold.
