Tejo Internacional has 70% of the black vulture population in Portugal
ANDIn a statement released today, the environmental association Quercus states that “this year, 31 pairs of black vulture nested in the International Tagus”, which represents “a trend towards recovery of the species in Portugal”.
“Of these [31]three couples on the property are on Quercus land, on the Natural platform of the Tagus Internacional note the other two in a natural nest”, it reads.
The black vulture (Aegypius monachus) is an endangered scavenger, classified in Portugal as “critically endangered”.
This scavenger bird stopped nesting in Portugal in the early 1970s.
It was only in 2010 that this species returned as a breeder to our country in the Tagus Internacional, Douro Internacional and, since 2015, also in Alentejo.
“The PNTI is home to the largest breeding colony of black vulture in Portugal, the second largest national population of vulture in Egypt and griffon vulture and several species of critically endangered avifauna of high biological value”, they stress. the environmentalists.
Environmentalists also add that during this breeding season, “10s of black vulture flew in the PNTI”, which were tagged, monitored and collected selected to continue the toxicology studies.
The core of Castelo Branco da Quercus joins today the commemorations of the International Day of Vultures to raise awareness about the importance of species and alert to the risk of extinction.
Environmentalists celebrate this day with the release at the PNTI of two vultures recovered in the Animal Studies and Recovery of Wild Animals (CERAS) and taking stock of the 2022 breeding season of several endangered species of vultures in that natural park.
Quercus seconds from Quercus from Fauna Recovery (CRAS9) from the various projects present and 2021 data between 19, 20021, allowable that in 197 record of unnatural mortality of the species of a black (Gyphus, Vulture-) and Egyptian Vulture ), “the main threats to scavenger birds were poisoning (45%) followed by electrocutions on electrical media voltage poles (20%) and lack of food (12%), among others”.
The PN encompasses the valley of the Tagus River section, front bordering valleys, a spacecraft of 4 hectares and covers the valley of the Tagus River section, the valleys on the edge of the territory and a surface of 26.
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