CINEROUS VULTURE (Aegypius monachus)
 

Cinerous Vulture is one of the top priority birds in Turkey. The species is threatened and breed in loose colonies in montane coniferous forest. Two of the most important colonies in Turkey, namely those at Türkmen Dağı and Kızılcahamam, were studied by a former Ph.D. student and several conservation projects, respectively. Dr. Elif Erdoğdu Yamaç (Anadolu University) has recently completed a Ph.D. dissertation on the population biology of the Türkmen Dağı colony, whence she found up to 23 active nests in less than half of the whole forest area, making this site numerically much more important than earlier estimates predicted.

Photos by Elif and Mustafa Yamaç

 

The first conservation project was funded by a UNDP/GEF grant to KAD and aimed for the conservation of Cinerous Vulture in the Kızılcahamam area (which includes the Soğuksu National Park). A crucial component of this project was to work out ways of managing the pine forests in the region without being detrimental to the species. A workshop that involved local foresters, planners, and conservationists proved very fruitful. A second smaller project (this time funded by the Dutch Embassy in Turkey) built on the first by producing informative leaflets and posters to be sent to all forestry units.

Finally, a new project aims to exchange experiences and know-how between Greece (Dadia Forest) and Turkey (Kızılcahamam) through a series of meetings, visits and activities. The project is a joint effort with WWF-Greece and is funded by the European Union.