GPS-Tracked Vultures Released in Israel, One Heads Towards Carmel

Two vultures, recently fitted with GPS transmitters as part of a monitoring project, have been released back into the wild in the Lower Galilee region of Israel. Shortly after their release, the transmitters began sending intriguing data: one vulture flew towards the Carmel region, while the other headed for Gamla in the Golan Heights. The two birds were captured as part of the "Winged Wings" project, a joint initiative by the Israel Electric Corporation, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, aimed at conserving vulture and bird of prey populations in Israel. Before their release, the vultures underwent examinations, blood samples were taken, and identification tags and GPS transmitters were attached to track their movements.

One of the released vultures, a young bird that hatched this past spring and was tagged S00, had no prior identification. Its flight towards the Carmel has led researchers from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to speculate that it might be one of the young birds that hatched and fledged from the recently re-established vulture colony in that area. "The young bird had no prior marking, so we had no previous historical or health information about it. This current capture is essentially our first encounter with it," explained Ohad Tzofer, Birds of Prey Ecologist at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. He noted that blood samples help detect pathogens and heavy metals that can harm vultures, providing insights into both individual health and the broader environment.

The enclosure where the vultures were captured is also used for breeding and acclimating vultures hatched in a breeding program before their release into the wild. During the fall, it serves for controlled capture of wild vultures for examinations, tagging, and monitoring. Currently, over 100 vultures in Israel are equipped with GPS transmitters, representing nearly half of the country's vulture population. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority, in collaboration with researchers from Tel Aviv University, plans to tag approximately 60 more vultures this fall, aiming to bring about 75% of the Israeli vulture population under surveillance.

The transmitters allow authorities to track vulture locations, flight paths, and identify unusual behavior. If a vulture lands in a suspicious area and remains there, rangers can investigate potential dangers. This data also aids in locating carcasses that might contain poisons or dangerous veterinary drugs, and enables rapid response to rescue injured vultures. "The transmitters are our eyes on the ground. Without them, we are blind in the dark," Tzofer stated, emphasizing their role in real-time threat identification and intervention.

Vultures are Israel's largest birds of prey and play a crucial ecological role as scavengers, capable of flying hundreds of kilometers in search of food. While thousands likely lived in Israel at the start of the 20th century, their population has significantly declined. The primary threat is poisoning, often from illegal pesticide use against predators, which vultures ingest when feeding on poisoned carcasses. Other threats include veterinary drugs, electrocution, collisions with infrastructure and wind turbines, and disturbance in nesting and roosting areas. The recent re-establishment of a nesting colony in the Carmel cliffs after decades of absence offers hope, and researchers anticipate the young vulture's movement towards the area may contribute to the population's recovery.