The Bearded Vulture pair at the Rescue Centre of Green Balkans has laid a second egg!

Just six days after the laying of the first egg, a second egg appeared in the vulture aviary at the Wildlife Rescue Centre of Green Balkans.

This is a repetition of what happened last year, as then the female also laid two eggs. The second egg then appeared 10 days following the first one. Despite the fact that no copula was observed after the laying the first egg, the young parents managed to hatch two chicks last year. For those of you, who are somewhat confused, vultures start breeding much earlier than many of the other species of birds. Their chicks hatch in the early spring, when the young of wild mammals and domestic animals are born – deer, cows, sheep. The mammals are very vulnerable in this period and some of them die during or shortly after birth. These dead animals provide food for the already hatched baby vultures, so they are able to grow big and strong.

The experience we gained last year allows the team of Green Balkans to remain optimistic, hoping that in the spring we would be able to announce the hatching of not one but two healthy lovely chicks – the second generation of the only pair of Bearded Vultures in Bulgaria.

The hatching of the chicks is not done without a purpose. They are a step forward towards the restoration of this species, which, despite being the symbol of Bulgarian nature conservation, is considered extinct from the country. This will take loads of time, efforts and a huge team, yet we are convinced in the success of our mission. Furthermore, our actions are supported by a great deal of scientists and practitioners, who have participated in successful programmes for the restoration of the species, such our friends from VCF.  

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Hristina Klisurova - Wildlife Rescue Centre - hhristova@greenbalkans.org