Vultures: a vital link in the ecosystem

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EVERY year in spring, conservationists flock to known vulture breeding sites across Zululand where the juveniles are tagged, measured and fitted with GPS backpacks.

The Zululand Vulture Project is a collaborative effort comprising Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Wildlife ACT Fund and the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Birds of Prey Programme.

The project’s focus areas include Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Zimanga Private Game Reserve, uMkhuze Game Reserve and Pongola Game Reserve.

The week-long tagging programme in 2014 saw the tagging of 14 vultures while a further three were fitted with GPS backpacks.

Vulture chicks are confined to the nest from April to December and it is during this time they are tagged. During this nesting period, the chicks are entirely dependent on the adults, should one of the breeding adults be killed, the chick would likely die.

The 2014 tagging project revealed a low number of breeding pairs, however, of major concern to conservationists is the decline in the number of breeding pairs since the previous year.

Each tag contains the vulture’s identity code which is distinctive according to the reserve on which the chick was born. This information helps determine each bird’s distance of travel after leaving the nest. The information carried in the tag helps conservationists understand the birds’ movements which is vital to the conservation and protection of the species. GPS backpacks also help monitor vultures’ movements but the data they supply is significantly more detailed than recorded sightings of the tagged vultures.

Tagging is vital to the monitoring and protection of Zululand’s vulture population which has experienced a sharp decline in recent years. The greatest threats facing Zululand’s vultures are the destruction of their habitat due to an increasing population, and the deliberate poisoning of vultures to supply the local muthi trade.