Lammergeier
Gypaetus barbatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Order Falconiformes
Family Accipitridae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Extinct EX, BDA-II, III; International: CITES-II, BeC-II, BoC-II, ESC-Spec 3; BD.
General distribution. A Paleomontane species. It breeds in Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Macedonia, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, China, Mongolia, Nepal, India.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. At present it is a wandering species that bred in the mountains in the past. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, it was most common in the Balkan Mountains. It has been observed in the western parts of Serbia bordering with Bulgaria, Vitosha, Rila, Pirin, the Rhodopes, Strandzha [1] and the Eastern Balkans [2]. Singular birds were found near the village of Vranino on 20 October1980 and Cape Kaliakra (October 1980) [3], near the village of Potochnitsa on 25 May 2001, over the Kresna Gorge, Belasitsa [4]. There were 5 observations near Madzharovo in 1990-2005 [5]: singular individuals on 21 March 1994, 06 June 1994 and 07 March 1999. Singular individuals also on 25 May 2001 near the village of Studen Kladenets, on 23 January 2001 near the village of Chereshnitsa, 06 May 2001 near the village of Oshtava, 22 August 2004 near Suha Vapa peak in Rila [6]. The numbers in Bulgaria are unknown. Extinct as breeding, probably at the end of the 1950s.
Habitats. Rock massifs in the mountains near large open spaces. Mainly on open mountainous terrains, including the Alpine belt; less frequently in the foothills. It is rare in the valleys, which it visits to look for food.
Biology. Up to 85% of its food are bones of larger mammals. Monogamous. It lays (December – January) 1-2 eggs every 4-5 days, which it incubates for 53-58 days. It breeds one young. The nests are distanced one from the other more than 11 km. It reaches sexual maturity at its 7th year. It starts breeding in its 10-12th year. Food – large birds, hairs, turtles, corpses of large mammals.
Similar species. None.
Negative factors. Disturbance, illegal hunting, a reduced nutrition base, catching in traps, poisoning with baits for birds and mammals of prey and rodents poisoned by pesticides which it sometimes eats, reduction of the nutrition base, late sexual maturity, low breeding capacity.
Conservation measures taken. Some of the potential places for habitation are included in protected natural territories. The development of a long-term programme is envisaged for the supply of individuals from Greece, Turkey or Southwestern Russia (Eastern Caucasus) and releasing captive bred birds in mountainous reserves in or the vicinity of large rock massifs and the presence of large wild and domestic ungulates; creation of large buffer zones near the reserves; non-use of non-selective poisonous traps and pesticides and other chemicals near the sites for re-introduction; artificial feeding in appropriate places; organization of international protected natural territories (for example with Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, Turkey) in which the species is still found or which it inhabited until recently.
References. 1. Boev, 1985; 2. Simeonov et al., 1990; S. Nonev, 1988; 4. D. Demerdjiev, M. Kurtev, personal communication; 5. H. Hristov, personal communication; 6. Stoynov, in press.
Authors: Zlatozar Boev
