site.btaYet Another Bird of Endangered Species Dies from Electrocution in Bulgaria

An Egyptian vulture has died from electrocution in the Eastern Rhodope mountains, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) reported. This is yet another bird of an endangered species lost to dangerous power poles in Bulgaria, the last case being that of an Imperial eagle near Stara Zagora (South Central Bulgaria) in November 2023.

The vulture, a male bird named Ferdinand, landed on a non-isolated power pole near the Studen Kladenets Dam during a storm, the weather conditions further increasing the risk of electrocution. 

Ferdinand hatched at Sofia Zoo in 2019 and was reared at Green Balkans’ Wildlife Rescue Centre. In 2021, he was released in the Eastern Rhodopes as part of an Egyptian vulture restocking programme. His GPS transmitter allowed his flights over Bulgaria and abroad to be observed. In 2023, Ferdinand was found helpless as a result of a collision but was returned to the wild after a short stay at the Wildlife Rescue Centre. This year, the adult bird returned to Bulgaria in search of a nesting territory and a breeding partner.

A considerable portion of adult birds in Bulgaria die from electrocution at contact with the power grid. The BSPB has been working with electricity distribution companies in Bulgaria to reduce this threat. In Southeastern Bulgaria alone, over 6,800 poles have been isolated, according to the NGO’s data. The organization is also working with the Turkish nongovernmental organization Doku Dernegi (DOKU) on a project aimed at reducing imperial eagle deaths caused by perching on dangerous power poles.

The Egyptian vulture is one of the most endangered raptor species in the world. Its population in the Balkans has declined by over 80% in the last 25 years due to electrocution caused by the power grid, poisoning, and poaching. According to BSPB data, Bulgaria holds a population of only 30 breeding pairs, but the large-scale actions taken by environmental organizations in the country and region to limit these threats along the entire migration route have already led to the signs of stabilization of the Egyptian vulture’s population in Bulgaria.