Black Vultures Return to Nest in Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains After 33 Years

Three pairs of Cinereous vulture have successfully hatched chicks, marking the species’ return as a breeding bird in the Bulgarian part of the Rhodope Mountains after more than three decades of absence, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds said on April 15. The last confirmed nesting of the species in the region dates back to 1993.

During nest monitoring over the Easter period, a team from the organisation was able to observe and film the newly hatched chicks.

While monitoring the nests at Easter, a BSPB team managed to observe and photograph the newly hatched chicks.

The reintroduction of the species in the area began in 2022, led by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, the Spanish organisation GREFA and Rewilding Europe. A total of 40 birds have so far been released into the wild, the statement added.

The efforts are already producing visible results: this year, eight pairs have been recorded in the Bulgarian part of the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, with seven of them occupying artificial nests built by teams from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds and the Kartalsko Gnezdo Foundation. Of these pairs, four began incubation, with three successfully hatching chicks, commented project leader Dr Dobromir Dobrev from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds.

The Cinereous vulture is the largest vulture species found in Europe and feeds exclusively on the carcasses of dead animals, the organisation noted. In addition to playing an important role as “sanitarians” in nature, vultures are also an attraction for tourists from Bulgaria and abroad visiting the Eastern Rhodopes.

In October 2025, a further seven cinereous vultures were released in the Eastern Rhodopes as part of the species restoration initiative.