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Condition of

Black Vulture in France 2015

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SUMMARY

1- History of the French population of Black vulture ….................................................................................. 2 2- Conservation actions in favour of Black Vulture ……………....................................................................... 3 3- Origin of blacks vultures identified in France.………………………………………………………................. 6 4- Situation of release in the Southern Alps …..…………………………………………………………….............. 7 INTRODUCTION The global range of Black Vulture stretched mainly from Spain to China until the early twentieth century. Then, the species has declined rapidly and disappeared from most countries of the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. At that time, in Spain, there are still large colonies, especially in Extremadura and Andalusia. In France, the species was seen regularly from 1883 until 1906 in the Great Causses, which housed the last breeding population. The reasons for the disappearance of Black Vulture the French mountains remain insufficiently documented. Today, thanks to the efforts of technical partners, national and international scientific and institutional (European centers and zoos, network members European Endangered species - EEP), the Black Vulture travels again French territory, the Spanish Pyrenees to the Alps, through the Massif Central. We must remember that the conservation of this species from the French Wildlife would be nothing without the support and important commitments of the autonomous communities and the Spanish organizations of Black Vulture protection. The three reintroduction projects in France were created thanks to the involvement of Spanish health centers for Wildlife; which could provide a significant number of birds of the release sites. Maker’s reintroduction sites in the Great Causses, Baronies and Verdon greet once again this unique and generous collaboration with those Spanish structures.

1- HISTORY OF FRENCH POPULATION OF BLACK VULTURE Today, three population groups are present on French territory, all come from of programs of reintroduction.

Figure 1 : Distribution of

the Black Vulture in France

– LPO Grands Causses

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After the success of the reintroduction of the Griffon Vulture in the Great Causses in the 1980s, the Vulture has also benefitted from a reintroduction program conducted from 1992 to 2004. So, in 1996, a couple reproduces for the first time in the wild, in the Gorges de la Jonte. This is a first in France since 90 years. A short time later, two other programs were simultaneously the day, thanks to Baronies Vultures Association (since 2004) and the LPO PACA (since 2005) in collaboration with the BVCF and the VCF. Since 2004, 40 vultures were released in Baronies and 26 birds were released in the Verdon. The National Action Plan (NAP) for the Black Vulture After the reintroduction of operation in the Great Causses first National Restoration Plan (NRP) was developed for the period 2004-2008, to "promote the maintenance and increase of the French population Vulture" and to "encourage the reconquest of its historical area." When this program came to an end, the operations in the Verdon and Baronies were not completed. It seemed essential to free 50 birds at each site to provide a viable population. Thus, the first plan was extended until 2010. Then, a second program was approved in 2011 for a period of five years, to continue ongoing actions.

o The conservation strategy for the period 2011-2016: It revolves around the knowledge acquired by various French reintroduction sites, but also Spanish, and offers a program of action for the different Black Vulture colonies in France. Deployed on each of the three sites, it ultimately favours the reconquest of the historical area of the species and the consolidation of a French population still fragile. In this perspective, the NAP aims to consolidate and share knowledge (genetic variability, population viability, terms of use of the area population, disturbances, etc.) to ensure the deployment actions to master the threats, to continue and strengthen cooperative efforts internationally. Based on the knowledge gained in recent years and considering the evolution of the population of Great Causses Vulture and the completion of the Baron of reintroduction programs and Verdon; the National Action Plan for the Vulture for 2011-2016 has the following general objectives, common to the three sites:

1. To preserve, improve or restore habitat and tranquillity of reproduction sites

2. Reduce and prevent mortality factors related to human activities

3. Extend the distribution area of the species and facilitate the interchange of individuals between different population groups

4. Promote the inclusion of the plan in public politic

5. Improve knowledge

6. Promote local acceptance

7. Coordinate actions and promote coorperation for the conservation of Black Vulture

2 – CONSERVATION ACTIONS IN FAVOUR OF BLACK VULTURE

Food resources vultures in France These collections fuelling mass graves associated with reintroduction programs and managed by the staff of these programs in the Great Causses, the Verdon and Baronies.

o The first quartering squares In 1998, a ministerial decree allows the implementation of individual quartering plot to distribute the food resource in time and in spaces. The first individual quartering plot was obtained by the LPO Great Causses, in April 2001.

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Quickly, requests farmers are made many because so much sheep farmers were already using the vultures as means quartering. At present, in the Great Causses, 119 quartering squares are actives. This high number is due to the fact that the topography around the farms caussenardes lends itself to the realization of these projects in the respect of the regulations (scattered settlements, altitude, upper air and quiet).

o The network of natural quartering plots in France

The plots are designed to provide a dietary supplement scavenging raptors through better access to locally occurring resources.

The various researches and monitoring of these species have helped highlight the interest of the distribution in space and time of supply points for their survival and reproductive success.

For reintroduction and conservation programs Great Causses vultures, Drôme and Verdon, food plots are a logical extension to the mass graves created at the beginning of these operations.

This solution gradually substitute plots to quartering collection made by management structures. In addition, it fully integrates the raptor population’s scavenger’s pastoral ecosystems by recognizing them as natural knackers herds. Plots allow distributing at random in space and in time, the food source. Today, more than a hundred individual plots managed directly by breeders exist in the South East of France.

The monitoring of vultures populations Technical monitoring has been in place since the reintroduction of vultures in France to know and measure the evolution of the colonies in the country.

o Monitoring of the reproduction Follow-up work is performed every year since the first reproductions in kind in 1996 in the Causses in 2010 in the Baronies and 2013 in the Gorges du Verdon. This monitoring and monitoring are performed throughout the year and intensified during the breeding season. For the entire French territory, reproduction’s evolution of Black Vulture is increasing. Thanks to recent reproductions in the Baronies and Verdon (graphic below).

Figure 2: Vultures on a quartering plots –Olivier

Duriez

Figure 3: distribution

of quartering plots on

French territory –

Pascal Orabi

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For this year 2015, 21 breeding pairs laid eggs and produced 12 fledglings in the territory of Great Causses. The Massif of the Baron, on 9 confined couples, only 3 young are gone. In the Gorges du Verdon first reproduction in kind was recorded in 2013 (one chick fledged). In 2015, the same couple was repeated and also conducted a fledgling. At the same time four other young birds’ reproductive age have built their separate nest blanks, but no nesting was observed.

o Banding young nest Every year, young vultures born in kind are always banded in the nest. Each birds are asked, TY a ring of steel National Museum Natural History (MNHN) in Paris and a coded plastic ring (Darvic).

This year again, all the chicks born in the Southern Alps and in the Great Causses were banded at the age of fifty days. However, it may happen that some chicks can’t be banded, due to the difficult access to the nest Furthermore, banding operations are a good opportunity to take the two little chick feather growth, to conduct DNA analysis and sexing of the case, led by the MNHN. It is also an opportunity to get into the nest of leftover food (pellets rejection, bone and skin) to know better the diet of this species (current analysis by Thierry David – LPO Grands Causses).

o Individual monitoring of birds

Figure 4: Evolution of the reproduction of Black Vulture in France (1996-2015) – LPO Grands Causses

Figure 5 et 6: Young chick in the nest in the Great Causses in 2015, during banding by Philippe Lecuyer –

Landry Clair ; Preparation of rings (metal of the Museum, Darvic and sample)- Philippe Lecuyer

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This monitoring is based on banding, marking and radio-tracking birds. All birds released through reintroduction feature rings and markings on the wings (for discoloration of feathers). On collective feeding sites crowded as in the Causses, monitoring performed for the kill, or by an observer with a camera identifies the vultures each deposit (rings and readings markings). In the case of individual plots rendering, followed by a temporary automated camera system also identifies vultures coming to feed on these devices. From the monitoring of birds, work is being done on population dynamics (calculations survival including, etc), genetics, longevity of birds in the nature or still, behaviour at the quarry. For example, Bernardus, released in Verdon and at present in the South of Spain (http: // to verdon.lpo.fr.) or still Abricot, released in Baronies having made a tour in Spain and in Portugal.. It also helps to know their exceptional travel (for example, Alca, Abricot and Bernardus, Blacks Vultures of Baronies and Verdon were observed in the Great Causses). Moreover, some immature released in the Alps have been equipped with GPS beacons in 2014 to monitor their movements in real time, during the first years after released. These monitoring data is then used by the MNHN and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

3 – ORIGIN OF VULTURES IDENTIFIED IN FRANCE In the Great Causses, are 73 different birds were identified let about 41 % of theoretical staff which is 170 individuals. Essentially, and logically, they are kind born birds in the Causses are most represented (65 individuals). Only 1 bird called "founders" (reintroduced) were identified. Furthermore, some individuals stemming from other programs came to visit the region of the Great Causses, as for example Bernardus, Abricot or still a Black Vulture coming from Baronies.

Concerning 33 birds different caussenards identified somewhere else that in the region of the Great

Causses, the graph opposite watch that the region of Baronies is always most seen the frequently by the

immature individuals.

A striking fact is a Black Vulture, born in 2014 in Tarn’s valley, observed on February 08th, 2015, on a

beach of Aude in great difficulty (in the water but getting back to the edge in « swimming »). This

vulture reappear a short time later on the mass grave of Cassagnes in the Gorges of Jonte!

Figure 7 : Repartition of caussenards Blacks Vultures in the other

sites in 2015 – LPO Grands Causses.

4 in Catalogne

19 in Drôme

1 in Ardèche

1 in Aude 2 in Lorraine

2 in Verdon

3 in Auvergne

1 in Pyrénées Orientales

(Attention, some birds pass by several sites)

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The same individual will be

observed, with a congener of

same age, in May in Vosges. This

vulture will then be back in Great

Causses at the end of August.

These various data’s show on one

hand capacities which have some

birds « to take out there » at all

costs and on other hand, the big

faculty of travel of the species…

Cooperation and exchange of information between French and border structures This year of 2015 was again

particularly fruitful regarding

cooperation international with the programs of preservation or with the scientific experts of diverse

countries bound to the Black Vulture. The key appointment of this year was the meeting organized in

the Park of birds in Dombes by the VCF. The representatives of the programs of current reintroduction

or to come thought together about the evolution of the European projects and in particular as regards

the distribution of birds given by Spain and theses regional’s autonomous communities.

Furthermore, relations knotted with the GREFFA, structure of Madrid which manages programs of

reintroduction of species in Catalonia, led the LPO Great Causses and the other partners of the PNA to

embark on a project of cooperation, realized by the deposit of candidacy with the EU for a LIFE +

biodiversity title: LIFE MONACHUS. It is about the second candidacy of this project which was not

retained on its version 2014.

4 – SITUATION OF RELEASES IN SOUTHERN ALPS

Although several Vulture pairs now breed in the Southern Alps, the situation of this population remains fragile. Therefore, it is essential to continue the reintroduction until fifty individuals were released at each site.

Number of bird

released by the “taquet”

method

Number of bird

released by the aviaries

method

Total released

birds

Numbers of vultures to collect to complete

the reintroduction program

Number of birds provided by Spain in

2014

Baronies 0 4 40 10 3 (Estremadura)

Verdon 0 8 26 16 3 (2 Andalusia and 1

Estremadura)

The vultures are released from rescue centers for Spanish and French and European wildlife zoo (young born in captivity - EEP).

Figure 8 : Black vulture caussenard observed by tourists at sea in Aude in 2015.–

LPO Grands Causses.

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National Actions Plan in favour of Black Vulture

Supervisory ministry: Ministère de l’Ecologie, de l’Energie et du Développement durable Direction générale 92055 La Défense Cedex Tél : 01 40 81 21 22

DREAL co-ordinator: Direction Régionale de l’Environnement, de l’Aménagement et du Logement (DREAL) Midi Pyrénées BP 88002 – Cité administrative Bâtiment G 31074 Toulouse Cedex 9 Tél : 05 61 58 50 00 http://www.midi-pyrenees.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/

DREAL associated: - (DREAL) Languedoc-Roussillon 520 allée Henri II de Montmorency 34064 Montpellier Tél : 04 34 46 64 00 - (DREAL) Provence - Alpes Côte d’Azur 16, rue Zattara CS 70248 13331 Marseille Cedex 3 Tel: 04 91 50 09 54 - (DREAL) Rhône - Alpes place Jules Ferry 69453 Lyon Tel: 04 26 28 60 00

National Technical operator: 1. LPO Grands Causses Le bourg 12720 Peyreleau - FRANCE Tél : 05 65 62 61 40 http://rapaces.lpo.fr/grands-causses

Main local operators: 2. Vautours en Baronnies 26150 Rémuzat – France Tél : 04 75 27 81 91 http://www.vautoursenbaronnies.com 3. LPO PACA, antenne Verdon 5, boulevard Saint-Michel 04120 Castellane – France Tél : 04 92 83 69 55 http://verdon.lpo.fr Website dedicaded to national actions plan in favour of Black Vulture:

http://rapaces.lpo.fr/vautour-moine

Condition of Black Vulture in France - 2015 Design, realization by LPO Grands Causses Rereading : Raphaël Néouze Cover photo : Bruno Berthémy