Welcome to the Central Asian Vultures project.
Egyptian Vulture (EV) Neophron percnopterus are globally Endangered and while becoming relatively well studied in Europe, in Asia only poor data is available on population status and nothing is known about their migration routes, wintering sites or threats.
Our project is based in Uzbekistan where there are estimated to be only 135 breeding pairs of EVs with the species listed in the Uzbekistan Red Data Book. The aim of this project is to use satellite tagging and population surveys to address the fundamental gaps in ecological knowledge and population status for this species in Central Asia.
Since spring 2021, we successfully satellite tagged 12 EV in the Kyzyl-Kum desert (central Uzbekistan) allowing us to describe the migration routes in this region for the first time.
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Project Objectives
Population Status
Undertake surveys to estimate the breeding population sizes and productivity in Uzbekistan and to understand the conservation status of the species in the region to give context to Central Asia’s importance for the species globally.
Identify Migration Routes
Nothing is known about the migration routes or wintering sites used by the Egyptian Vultures breeding in Central Asia. Identifying these is critical to planning their conservation.
Threats
Identify what threats might exist for Egyptian Vulture in its breeding grounds in Uzbekistan and during its migration.
Vulture Multi-species Action Plan
The work undertaken will fulfill the gaps identified in the Action Plan for vultures in Central Asia. This will allow more effective implementation of agreements between range states and the prioritisation of conservation resources.
