March 2008 Vulture News 58 VULTURE SNIPPETS FROM AROUND THE WORLD Palm-nut Vulture observation in sub-adult Palm-nut Vultures. Unfortunately KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa we were unable to identify the fifth bird. At 13h30 on 20 January 2008, whilst driving However, minutes later we came accross a along a farm dirt road in the Greenpoint area Brown Snake-eagle Circaetus cinereus. The (about 5 km north of Scottburgh, KwaZulu- vultures showed brown bodies and wing Natal) towards the R102 (about 1 km coverts, white patches at the base of the from the seashore), our group spotted two primaries (underwing) and dark tails, tipped sub-adult Palmnut Vultures Gypohierax white. All of these birds are scarce in our angolensis circling possibly 100 m above area. There is a previous record of an adult us. We were returning from a birding outing and sub-adult Palm-nut Vulture visiting on the Finningley estate and whilst driving, the Greenpoint Crocodile Farm (about 1 noticed a 'raptor' circling above us. On km from the current sighting) about 15 stopping to take a look, we were surprised years ago (Hamish Campell pers. comm.). to see that another four birds had joined Interestingly there are a number of Raffia the first one. We quickly identified an adult palms growing in the amaHlongwa River and juvenile Black-chested Snake-eagle floodplain (which borders the crocodile Circaetus pectoralis, together with two farm) that are probably 10 to 20 years old and certainly introduced. Lester van Groeningen; e-mail address: [email protected] Genetic characterization of HPAI (H5N1) potential vectors for H5N1 and need to be viruses from poultry and wild vultures, monitored, particularly given their close Burkina Faso proximity to human settlements. The H5N1 The first molecular characterisation of isolates show a common ancestor with the H5N1 isolated from Hooded Vultures strains isolated from poultry in Burkina Necrosyrtes monachus in Burkina Faso Faso, northern Nigeria, Sudan, and Côte indicates that these wild scavengers are d'Ivoire. From: Emerging Infectious Diseases (2007) 13 (4). 49 Vulture News 58 March 2008 Flock of 100 vultures eats live cows in las Heras, president of the local chapter of Spain in rising phenomenon a union called the Farmers and Ranchers Madrid, Spain — A flock of some 100 Coordinator. In the past two months there Eurasian Griffons Gyps fulvus killed a have been three or four attacks in the valley cow and her newborn calf, the latest in a and several others elsewhere. Traditionally, series of attacks in which carrion-eaters get farmers and rural officials designate areas to dump the carcasses of farm animals like so hungry they set upon on live animals, mules so vultures could feed on them. But a Spanish farmer’s union reported. The there are fewer and fewer of these places, attack occurred last weekend in the Mena in part because of mad cow disease: it Valley, an area in northern Burgos province is now illegal to dump cow or any other that is home to many cattle ranches, the ruminant remains at such feeding troughs, Spanish Interior Ministry office in Burgos de las Heras said. The result is that vultures said. It said a rancher alerted police after are so hungry they have even shed their seeing the birds swarm on a cow that had wariness of humans to swoop down near just given birth and kill both animals. farms and feast on live animals like cattle “There was nothing he could do to stop and pigs, de las Heras said. “We have seen them,” the office said in a statement. The them land 100 m from people. They are not phenomenon is on the rise in that valley and afraid of anything,” he said in a telephone elsewhere in Burgos, said Jose Manuel de interview. From: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,269858,00.html 3 May 2007 Predator vultures eat Spanish farm the birds only attack sick or moribund animals alive animals. Farmers, however, maintain that Madrid – For as long as anyone can the vultures also set upon healthy animals, remember, Spanish Eurasian Griffons Gyps mostly mares or cows which have just given fulvus have swooped down on carcasses birth and their newborn. “The birds have of dead cattle or other animals lying on killed 17 of my 40 recently born colts,” fields or forests. Yet now, in a dramatic said Antonio de la Fuente, a rancher near change of behaviour, the bald-headed Burgos in northern Spain. Some cases of and broad-winged scavengers are making vultures attacking live animals have been savage attacks on live cows, sheep and reported in the 1980s and 1990s, but they even horses, literally eating them alive. were rare. Now, however, “cows become The phenomenon has surprised officials nervous and even flee when they see a some of whom refuse to believe it, saying flock of vultures soaring overhead,” Catalan 50 March 2008 Vulture News 58 farmer Josep Blasi said. There have been known as mad cow disease, in 2001 and dozens of reports of Eurasian Griffons 2002, which prompted the authorities to depredating on live animals in northern and prohibit leaving cadavers of dead animals eastern Spain. In early May, for instance, in the wild. The amount of food for the about 100 vultures killed a cow and its vultures decreased just as they were on the increase. The number of Eurasian Griffons newborn calf near Burgos. Farmers are has grown from about 3000 to 22 000 not asking the authorities to eliminate the pairs in Spain over two decades thanks to birds, which help to keep the environment measures aimed at preserving this protected clean of carcasses, but for a control and, species. The government has now modified above all, for damages for losses which are the mad cow rules, adopting a decree not foreseen by any law. Experts link the allowing farmers to leave carcasses outside. vultures’ behaviour with the epidemic of Whether the vultures will go back to their bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), former menu, remains to be seen Source: unknown 29 May 2007 Hungry vultures driven away SEO-Birdlife. Hungry vultures have even Madrid – Hundreds of Spanish Eurasian attacked cows and other live animals in Griffons Gyps fulvus are flying to Belgium, Spain, prompting the government to relax the Netherlands and Germany in search regulations prohibiting farmers from of food, the daily El Pais reported on leaving dead animals outside. The EU has Friday. The bald-headed scavengers with accorded exceptions to Spain and other a wingspan of up to 2.8 m have been left southern countries, but bird specialists without food after the European Union say it is impossible to now supply enough (EU) prohibited leaving animal carcasses nourishment for the vultures and other in the open in 2003 to prevent the spread of scavengers in Spain. The EU should relax bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), its regulations union-wide, said Atienza. known as mad cow disease. Eurasian A failure to do that could threaten 80% of Griffons could normally fly up to 50 km Europe’s scavenger birds with starvation in in search of nourishment, but for them “the worst natural disaster over the past 50 to travel more than 1000 km northwards years,” he warned. Spain is home to the vast was totally unusual, said Juan Carlos majority of Europe’s Eurasian Griffons, a Atienza of the environmental organisation protected species. From: http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_2134820,00.html 22 June 2007 51 Vulture News 58 March 2008 Rare Andean Condor hatches at Denver said. The chick, which does not yet have Zoo, USA a name, and his parents, Evita and Andy, Denver – A rare Andean Condor Vultur are the zoo’s only condors, she said. When gryphus has hatched at the Denver Zoo, the Denver chick matures, it will either be becoming only the second such bird to takento another zoo for breeding – most hatch at a zoo anywhere in the world in likely in Europe or South America – or the past year, zoo officials said Thursday. it may be considered for a programme in The Denver condor, a male, hatched on 13 Colombia that releases the birds into the May 2007, joining a condor born in Sydney, wild, Sarno said. Denver Zoo spokeswoman Amy Sarno From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6710857,00.html 14 June 2007 A pair of Bearded Vultures from Austria and conservation of the four vulture sent to the wildlife rescue centre of Green species in Europe with various experts Balkan from numerous international organizations A pair of long-expected Bearded Vultures during the past ten years. In 2006 a Gypeatus barbatus finally arrived in the commission comprising the leading experts Wildlife Rescue Centre of Green Balkans on Bearded Vultures decided to grant a on 15 July 2007. The two birds were hatched pair of these birds, hatched in Austria and raised in a Breeding Centre for Bearded to the Wildlife Rescue Centre of Green Vultures in Austria /EGS - Eulen und Balkans, as a part of the Balkan Vulture Greifvogel Schutz – Austria/ http://www. Action Plan. Last week a team from Green egsoesterreich.org/index1.html. The Centre Balkans visited our colleagues in Austria is a part of the international programme for for experience exchange and took part in the Bearded Vulture restoration in the Alps. The last release of young birds bred in captivity Bearded Vulture is the symbol of Bulgarian into the Alps for the current year. This year nature conservation, but unfortunately the two young birds were set free in the Hohe species has disappeared as a nesting species Tauern National Park.