Egyptian vulture
- A rare Egyptian vulture has been spotted circling the skies above the village of Dunfanaghy.
- It is the first time the species has been recorded anywhere on the island of Ireland.
- It was sighted in UK last month for first time in 150 years
About Egyptian Vulture
- Also known as the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh’s chicken,
- It is a bird of prey whose numbers are declining – around 18,000 to 57,000 are thought to exist worldwide.
- IUCN currently classifies Egyptian vultures as Endangered (En)
- This species’ natural habitat includes plains, mountains, wetlands, uplands, savannahs and semi-deserts.
- Its migratory range usually stretches from Bangladesh to west Africa and it can be found in parts of southern Spain and northern France.
- It is the only long-distance migratory vulture.
- They migrate to warmer regions during the winter as they cannot tolerate the cold. They are often seen around human settlements.
- It feeds mainly on carrion and opportunistically prey on small mammals, birds, and reptiles.
- It also feeds on the eggs of other birds and breaks larger ones by hurling large pebbles onto them.
- The Egyptian vulture also uses twigs to roll up wool for use in their nest.
- It is one of the only birds of prey known to use tools when hunting and has been featured in Egyptian hieroglyphs.
- It is the only European vulture whose population is declining.
- Efforts to strengthen the populations of Egyptian Vultures have been taking place since the beginning of the 2000s with projects funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme
- The species plays a hugely important role in the ecosystem, disposing of carcasses quickly thereby stopping the spread of disease.