A Griffon Vulture Returns to Nest in Cyprus After 16 Years

For the first time in 16 years, griffon vultures have successfully bred in the Limnatis Valley Special Protection Area in Cyprus. One of this year’s chicks has been fitted with a GPS transmitter, which will allow specialists to track its movements after it leaves the nest. This is the second griffon vulture chick to hatch in Cyprus this year, and the second to be successfully fitted with a GPS transmitter. The chick hatched around the middle of May in the Limnatis Valley Special Protection Area. On Monday, specialists from the Game and Fauna Service, together with BirdLife Cyprus, fitted it with a transmitter.

The nest is located on a steep cliff, so the assistance of a professional climber was required to reach it safely. The chick was carefully removed from the nest and returned after the transmitter was fitted. Both of the chick’s parents had previously been brought to Cyprus from Spain as part of a programme to restore the local griffon vulture population.

The GPS transmitter will provide data on the young griffon vulture’s movements after it leaves the nest. The first two to three months after fledging are considered particularly important, as the bird gradually joins the rest of the population. Monitoring it will also allow specialists to intervene promptly if necessary.

The project received support from the Embassy of Spain in Cyprus. This year has been especially important for the recovery of the species: for the first time since 2021, three pairs of griffon vultures have successfully bred in Cyprus. BirdLife Cyprus believes that the appearance of chicks from birds brought from Spain demonstrates the effectiveness of international cooperation and long-term conservation programmes.

The location where the current chick hatched is particularly significant. The last recorded case of griffon vultures breeding in the Limnatis Valley Special Protection Area occurred 16 years ago — in 2010. Although the birds continued to use the area for roosting, no further breeding cases had been recorded there since then.

Specialists note that the return of breeding birds to their historic habitats demonstrates the importance of preserving such areas for the long-term recovery of the griffon vulture population in Cyprus.