Cinereous Vultures, Madrid, Spain

[AlisonL]

Meet Niebla, a young Cinereous Vulture growing up in Guararrama National Park near Madrid.

His name means "mist" or "fog". I have always seen Niebla referred to as a male, but he is a very good sized juvie, and may be a female. He has exceptionally attentive and gentle parents, who continue to watch over him and bring food for him.

Niebla fledged on August 29, but he has been returning to the nest to eat, to rest and to sleep at night. Two nights ago, he did not return to the nest at night for the first time. Yesterday, he turned six months old, and was back at the nest last night. He was banded by SEO/BirdLife with a yellow band on his left leg.











http://www.seo.org/webcambuitre/

[AlisonL]

For the first time, there has been an observation of a Cinereous Vulture in Mauritania. From SEO BirdLife:

First observation of a black vulture in Mauritania! We banded him, as a chick, at the colony in the Valle del Lozoya, Rascafría, Madrid, on July 13, 2017.

This colony, whose numbers have grown from 60 pairs in 2007 to 120 pairs currently, is the place where Niebla grew up in 2017. 64 chicks were born in the colony last year.



The young Cinereous Vulture was seen in the company of a Griffon Vulture and a Brown-necked Raven.



First record for Mauritania:

In December 2017, the Dutch birding group Banc d’Arguin recorded a first-winter Cinereous Vulture at Iouik (Iwik) which is located in the Banc d’Arguin National Park, north-western Mauritania. The bird was wearing a yellow colour ring, so most likely from Spain. The bird was photographed with two other scavengers, a Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) and a Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficollis). This is the first known record for this Palearctic vulture for Mauritania.

http://www.magornitho.org/2018/01/first-cinereous-vulture-mauritania/

[Kris G.]

For the first time, there has been an observation of a Cinereous Vulture in Mauritania. From SEO BirdLife:

First observation of a black vulture in Mauritania! We banded him, as a chick, at the colony in the Valle del Lozoya, Rascafría, Madrid, on July 13, 2017.

This colony, whose numbers have grown from 60 pairs in 2007 to 120 pairs currently, is the place where Niebla grew up in 2017. 64 chicks were born in the colony last year.



The young Cinereous Vulture was seen in the company of a Griffon Vulture and a Brown-necked Raven.



First record for Mauritania:

In December 2017, the Dutch birding group Banc d’Arguin recorded a first-winter Cinereous Vulture at Iouik (Iwik) which is located in the Banc d’Arguin National Park, north-western Mauritania. The bird was wearing a yellow colour ring, so most likely from Spain. The bird was photographed with two other scavengers, a Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) and a Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficollis). This is the first known record for this Palearctic vulture for Mauritania.

http://www.magornitho.org/2018/01/first-cinereous-vulture-mauritania/

   Great news!