A Black and an Egyptian Vultures on the vulture feeding station in Kotlenska Stara Planina Mountain

In the past Black Vultures were widespread in Bulgaria but at present there are no confirmed breeding pairs in the country. Individual birds have been observed in Eastern Stara Planina Mountain in the 1970s; the last confirmed nests there were located in the forested hills near Provadia. Since then individual birds have been spotted in the area of Kotlenska Stara Planina in the spring of 1993 and 1994 – probably juvenile birds, wandering from the colony in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains.

A few days ago our colleagues from the FWFF filmed a visit of a Black Vulture in the area of Kresna. The Life for Kresna Project was launched there for the restoration of the Griffon Vulture population.

The first registered visit of a juvenile Black Vulture on one of our feeding stations in the area was in 2013, and another one followed in 2014. The third visit in Eastern Stara Planina Mountain is a joyful event that brings gives us hope that we are on the right path for the return of vultures to Bulgaria!

The Egyptian Vulture is a critically endangered species and its population in Bulgaria is in rapid decline. Some of the last remaining pairs nest in the area of Eastern Stara Planina and evidently benefit from the food station for the Griffon Vultures which is funded by "The Return of Vultures to Bulgaria" Project. Last June we filmed an adult Egyptian bringing food in its beak, and in August a juvenile bird showed up too!

Our success so far proves that the conditions that led to the extinction of vultures in Stara Planina Mountain have already changed and the Balkan Mountain is ready to welcome back its heavenly rulers. We pray that one day we will be able to admire once again all four vulture species that roamed the skies over Bulgaria – the Egyptian, Black, and Griffon Vultures and the Lammergeier!