By getting rid of all the dead stuff, they also apparently help stop the spread of diseases like rabies.Īccording to The Independent, the cinereous vulture is just one of many species to be reintroduced to the Rhodopes. Seventeen of the birds have been rewilded from Spain, with the hope not only being that the vultures will spread across their historic range, stretching from the Middle East through to Spain, Portugal and western Europe, but that they’ll also contribute positively to local ecosystems.īecause the vultures usually feast on the dead carcasses of small animals, they’re considered a ‘keystone species’ and are therefore vital to the mountain ecosystem. For years, they’ve only really been found in Spain and Portugal – but now the vulture is making a comeback elsewhere.Ĭonservationists are reintroducing the species to the Rhodope mountain range, a huge area that spans bits of both Bulgaria and Greece. The birds were wiped out of the region partly due to habitat loss and partly due to poisoning from lead bullets they’d picked up from eating carcasses shot by humans.
The cinereous vulture (sometimes called the ‘black vulture’) once lived across all of Europe. It’ll likely just be a magnificent (and harmless) cinereous vulture, which was once Europe’s largest and heaviest raptor and is now being reintroduced to parts of the continent. But don’t worry, airborne dinosaurs aren’t back. The female carries out most of the incubation of the white eggs, but the male performs this duty from time to time.Someday soon you might look up in the sky and see a huge flying thing with a whopping three-metre wingspan. At the start of the breeding season, the nest is lined with fresh green leaves and twigs. The nest can be located in a tree up to 30m above the ground, but may also be placed on the ground or on rocks, where there are no suitable trees. White-bellied Sea-Eagles build a large stick nest, which is used for many seasons in succession. Sea-Eagles feed alone, in pairs or in family groups. They harass smaller birds, forcing them to drop any food that they are carrying. Sea-Eagles also feed on carrion (dead prey) such as sheep and fish along the waterline. It is a skilled hunter, and will attack prey up to the size of a swan. The White-bellied Sea-Eagle feeds mainly off aquatic animals, such as fish, turtles and sea snakes, but it takes birds and mammals as well. Birds form permanent pairs that inhabit territories throughout the year. White-bellied Sea-Eagles are normally seen perched high in a tree, or soaring over waterways and adjacent land. White-bellied Sea-Eagles are a common sight in coastal and near coastal areas of Australia. Young Sea-Eagles are brown as juveniles than slowly become to resemble adults in a patchwork manner, acquiring the complete adult plumage by their fourth year. As in other raptors (birds of prey), Males (2.5 kg - 3.7 kg) are slightly smaller than females (2.8 kg - 4.2 kg).The wingspan is about 1.8 m - 2 m. The legs and feet are cream-white, with long black talons (claws). The large, hooked bill is grey with a darker tip, and the eye is dark brown. In flight the black flight feathers on the wings are easily seen when the bird is viewed from below. The White-bellied Sea-Eagle has white on the head, rump and underparts and dark grey on the back and wings. The Wedge-tailed Eagle is mostly brown, with a wedge-shaped tail.
The White-bellied Sea-Eagle is the second largest raptor (bird of prey) found in Australia.
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