13 black vulture chicks fitted with GPS trackers in Portugal

The LIFE Aegypius Return project tagged 13 black vulture chicks in 2026 at breeding colonies in the Douro Internacional, Tejo Internacional, Herdade da Contenda and Vidigueira/Portel, bringing the total monitored since 2023 to 56. Field teams fitted GPS/GSM transmitters, rings and collected blood, feather and swab samples for scientific study, despite heatwaves that made the July fieldwork more demanding. The tracking data helps researchers understand chick movements, feeding and roosting areas, and health status, and has also informed technical opinions on renewable energy projects to reduce impacts on the species.