Portugal's three vulture species mark International Vulture Day

To mark International Vulture Day, celebrated on the first Saturday of September, this article presents Portugal's three vulture species. The cinerous vulture, Europe's largest, vanished from Portugal in the 1970s and only returned to nest in 2010; a LIFE project launched in 2022 aims to double breeding pairs, with 119-126 recorded last year. The griffon vulture is the most common, with an estimated 1,200 pairs, its largest colony at Portas do Ródão. The Egyptian vulture, smallest and endangered, migrates from Africa each spring but has declined roughly 50% across Europe in 40 years due to poisoning, habitat disturbance and power lines.