Birdlife Cyprus, today, July 10th, set off on a mission to tag a griffon vulture chick with a ring and GPS transmitter for the first time, they said, since vultures were transported to Cyprus from Spain, in order to increase the population of the species in Cyprus.
Birdlife Cyprus stated that the chick “has a special story,” with it being the first hatched of ‘Molly’ and ‘Ramon,’ two of the vultures brought over from Spain. They noted that the chick marks an important step in the effort to protect the species on the island.
The organisation added that they made sure to monitor the nest systematically, in order to make sure the hatchling was of the right age to tag, which they stated should be around 90 days. They clarified that they also had the consent of the British Bases.
They continued, explaining that a professional climber reached the nest and “carefully” transported it to the ground, where a Game and Fauna Service worker installed the devices. A veterinarian also checked the chick, Birdlife Cyprus said, determining it to be in excellent condition.
They stated that the process took a total of two hours, in order to limit the disturbance of the bird, adding that they moved away from the area and continued to monitor the chick until its parents returned.
‘Project Gypas’ hopes to increase the griffon vulture population in Cyprus to at least 200 vultures. In 2025, there were only 37 griffon vultures on the island. That year, a vulture was found electrocuted in the Korfi area, having flown into an electricity pole.
Birdlife Cyprus finished, stating that “A new gypa is slowly preparing to spread its wings over the Cypriot countryside.”