Saturday, 7 September 2024: International Vulture Awareness Day
International Vulture Awareness Day shines a spotlight on the highly important yet vastly misunderstood birds – vultures. Join the hundreds of organisers and thousands of participants that celebrated IVAD over the years to give these underappreciated guardians of nature a voice and drive meaningful conservation action.
Vultures: Myths vs Truth
Often misunderstood, vultures are the silent sentinels of our natural world. These remarkable creatures are nature’s cleaners, ecosystem guardians, flying giants, and devoted parents.
Vultures are among the most important, yet tragically misunderstood and underappreciated birds on our planet. Forget the myths and misconceptions – far from the underserving caricatures of media portrayals, these remarkable birds play a vital role in maintaining sustainable and healthy ecosystems. By efficiently consuming carcasses and organic waste, vultures likely prevent the spread of deadly diseases that could devastate wildlife, livestock, and even people. In fact, vultures benefit our world in so many ways, from economic benefits to potentially reducing carbon emissions. By implementing effective conservation measures, we can give vultures a chance to recover and restore the numerous benefits they provide.
Vultures need your help
Vultures are facing a global crisis – they need our help to make a recovery. Vulture populations worldwide are experiencing catastrophic declines due to various threats, including direct and indirect poisoning, illegal killing, and electrocutions or collisions with power lines. Without these sentinels of the sky, the consequences for our environment could be severe.
That is why International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) is so important. It is a chance to shatter the myths, celebrate the wonder of vultures, and take action to protect these vital birds before it’s too late. Join us on the first Saturday of September as we honour the unsung heroes that keep our natural world in balance.
Vulture Conservation and Research
Vultures are vital to biodiversity in the environments they inhabit. These remarkable birds provide critically important ecosystem services by efficiently cleaning up carcasses and other organic waste in the environment. In essence, they are nature’s garbage collectors, and this role translates into significant economic and public health benefits.
The disappearance of vultures would be devastating. Often, the true value of these birds is only recognised after they have vanished from a particular region. Studies have shown that in areas without vultures, carcasses can take three to four times longer to decompose. This has serious implications for the spread of diseases in both wild and domestic animals, as well as elevating pathogenic risks to human populations and their livestock.
Urgent need for conservation action
Satellite telemetry studies have revealed that vultures travel over vast areas, often crossing international borders. Effective conservation, therefore, requires a coordinated approach across all the countries within their range. This recognition led to the development of the Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures (Vulture MsAP) under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
Vulture Multi-species Action Plan
The Multi-species Action Plan to Conserve African-Eurasian Vultures (Vulture MsAP) is the result of extensive consultation with stakeholders, conservation experts, and species specialists. The overarching goal of this comprehensive plan is to rapidly halt the current population declines of all 15 African-Eurasian vulture species across their vast range.
- Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus (Europe, Asia, Africa) – Near Threatened
- Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres (Africa) – Vulnerable
- Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus (Europe, Asia, Africa – occurs irregularly and in very small numbers) – Near Threatened
- Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (Europe, Asia, Africa) – Endangered
- Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus (Europe, Asia, Africa) – Least Concern
- Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis (Asia) – Near Threatened
- Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus (Africa) – Critically Endangered
- Indian Vulture Gyps indicus (Asia) – Critically Endangered
- Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos (Africa, Asia) – Endangered
- Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus (Asia) – Critically Endangered
- Rüppell’s Vulture Gyps rueppelli (Africa, Europe – occurs irregularly and in very small numbers) – Critically Endangered
- Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris (Asia) – Critically Endangered
- White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus (Africa, Europe – occurs irregularly and in very small numbers) – Critically Endangered
- White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis (Africa) – Critically Endangered
- White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis (Asia) – Critically Endangered
The Vulture MsAP covers the combined land masses of Africa and Eurasia, with a total of 128 Range States hosting populations of one or more vulture species. Range States are encouraged to use the MsAP as a guide for drafting national vulture conservation action plans tailored to their specific circumstances.