Black Vultures are a rare but impressive sight in Mallorca. With a wingspan that can reach over two and a half metres and weighing up to eight kilograms, these giant animals established a breeding colony in the Serra de Tramuntana centuries ago, nowadays the only of its kind found on an island.
Nearly extinct in the 1980s, the regional government together with the Black Vulture Conservation Foundation created a plan to preserve its presence on the island when only 19 individuals lived in Mallorca, including a single breeding couple. The reasons for this sad situation were hunting and the fact that some of the herbivorous animals they ate had been poisoned to protect crops.
Their number has been slowly but steadily increasing since then and, more than 30 years after, it has been announced that the Black Vulture is no longer endangered in Mallorca, although its situation is still very fragile. There are now over 200 birds on the island, including 35 breeding couples with an issue of around 25 chicks per year.
This auspicious news was announced last Saturday, September 1st, on the International Day of the Vulture when special activities were organised at the Vulture Rehabilitation Centre in Campanet. You can visit their facilities and learn more about these majestic creatures as well as about their projects regarding the preservation of the vulture population in Mallorca.
Black Vultures are not easy to see in the wild but your best bet is to head to the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, especially the area near Escorca. Try hiking to Lluc Monastery or the Cuber Reservoir and keep looking up! Just remember to avoid getting too close to them and their nests to avoid disturbing them.
