At the begining of July the five chicks of Black Vulture born this year in Catalonia (Boumort Reserve, Prepyrenees of Lleida) were banded. This colony is the only one in the whole Pyrenees, and it was created thanks to the BV Reintroduction Project started in 2008.
12 of the 14 territorial pairs at the begining of the breeding season layed eggs and of these, seven hatched and five arrived at the end of their development.
The chicks were banded when they were 80 days old. They were equipped with GPS and GSM transmitters, fixed on their backs using an harness, put by a specialized ringer.
The data that these devices generate is really important since it allows the biologist to track every single movement of the black vultures and so, study the juvenile dispersion areas and threats of the Catalan BV colony as well as finding the birds in case of accident or death.
One of the good news this year is that two pairs with some failed breeding attempts last seasons, have been able to raise their chicks finally.
The reintroduction project of the Black Vulture in the Pyrenees is promoted by the Departament d’Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca, Alimentació i Medi Natural de la Generalitat de Catalunya, and Fundació Catalunya–La Pedrera. GREFA and Trenca are involved in the assisment and implementation of the Project, together with the staff of the NHR of Boumort. Obra Social “La Caixa” (with the support of Generalitat de Catalunya)Fundación Biodiversidad and REE participate in a remarkable manner to the financing of the project.