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A new conservation programme backed by the European Union will begin in Cyprus this October, bringing together six organisations in a coordinated effort to protect three of the island’s most important birds of prey.
The Raptors for LIFE project will be led by BirdLife Cyprus with financial support from the EU LIFE programme. Partners include the Game and Fauna Service, the Vulture Conservation Foundation, the General State Chemical Laboratory, Cyprus Police and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus.
The initiative is designed to improve the long-term survival of the Griffon Vulture, Bonelli’s Eagle and Egyptian Vulture by tackling the main causes of bird deaths. These include poisoned bait, contact with electricity infrastructure, illegal shooting and drowning in open water reservoirs.
The Griffon Vulture remains one of Cyprus’ most endangered species, with only 37 birds currently recorded. Conservationists say poisoning and electrocution continue to pose the greatest danger to the population.
The Bonelli’s Eagle, the island’s only breeding eagle, also faces persistent threats from poisoning, persecution and power lines. The Egyptian Vulture has increased its presence in Cyprus over recent decades, but continues to face risks from shooting, collisions with electricity infrastructure, electrocution and drowning. The new programme will include further research to improve understanding of the species and support future conservation work.
The project builds on the achievements of the earlier LIFE with Vultures and LIFE Bonelli’s eastMed programmes, which helped increase the Griffon Vulture population through the transfer and release of birds from Spain while improving cooperation between authorities in combating the illegal use of poisoned bait.
Drawing on the experience gained from those projects, Raptors for LIFE will expand conservation work to cover all three species. Planned measures include strengthening scientific analysis to support court cases involving wildlife poisoning, improving the investigation and prosecution of offences against protected species, and enhancing the detection of toxic substances in poisoned bait through new equipment and specialist training.
