As part of the LIFE Aegypius Return project, staff from the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) and project partner LPN (Liga para a Protecção da Natureza) recently visited Vale de Mouro, a 709ha estate managed by ANTARR – Gestão Florestal, located in the Serra de São Mamede, in eastern Portugal. The visit aimed to assess the area's potential to support the ongoing recovery of the Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus), one of Europe's rarest birds of prey.
The Serra de São Mamede Natural Park lies within the expanding range of the recovering Cinereous Vulture population. It is very close to the Tejo Internacional Cinereous Vulture colony, and the one in nearby Sierra de San Pedro, one of the largest breeding colonies for this species in the world. In addition, the area is already home to some breeding Griffon Vultures. The Natural Park includes some prime nesting habitat for Cinereous Vultures – forested hills and slopes with suitable large trees, and it is therefore one of the most suitable areas for potential recolonization by this species.
Vale de Mouro is dominated by cork oak’s "montado," an agroforestry system that balances agriculture, forestry, and livestock. It also has some plantations of stone pine and eucalyptus, and is managed by Antarr, a company established in 2021 with the goal of generating environmental, social, and economic value through the revalorization of Natural Capital. On this property, the focus for the coming years is on improving montado’s productivity, restoring riparian galleries, and enhancing some rare habitat for biodiversity.
During the visit, LIFE Aegypius Return project staff and ANTARR representatives explored several potential areas that could contribute to the long-term conservation of Cinereous Vultures. Discussions focused on possible collaborative actions, including the installation of artificial nesting platforms in suitable mature trees to encourage future breeding attempts, as well as the establishment of an Unfenced Feeding Area for Scavenger Birds (APAAN), supplied by the carcasses of sheep and goats from herds that graze inside the estate. These supplementary feeding areas provide safe food resources while allowing vultures to feed under natural conditions and play an important role in supporting local scavenger populations.
Beyond these specific actions, the visit provided an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge on sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation. Well-managed private estates can play a crucial role in providing suitable nesting habitat, minimising disturbance and ensuring the availability of food resources for large scavengers.
Ultimately, the recovery of the Cinereous Vulture in Portugal will depend not only on conservation actions within protected areas, but also on strong partnerships with private landowners, farmers and forest managers. The LIFE Aegypius Return project continues to work closely with landowners, local communities, public authorities and other stakeholders to restore a favourable conservation status for the Cinereous Vulture in Portugal and western Spain. Every new partnership helps build a stronger network of habitats where this magnificent species can thrive once again.
The LIFE Aegypius Return would like to thank ANTARR for their warm welcome, their openness to collaboration and their commitment to exploring new opportunities to support one of Portugal's most iconic and threatened birds.
About the LIFE Aegypius Return project
The LIFE Aegypius Return project is co-funded by the European Union's LIFE programme. Its success depends on the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders and the collaboration of the partners: the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), the coordinating beneficiary, and local partners Palombar - Conservation of Nature and Rural Heritage, Herdade da Contenda, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds, the League for the Protection of Nature, the Faia Brava Association for Nature Conservation, Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre, the National Republican Guard and the National Association of Rural Owners of Game Management and Biodiversity.
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