One of the problems that Black Vulture faces in Portugal is the lack of suitable nesting sites. This species has very strict ecological demands, namely the presence of large areas of suitable habitat, located in steepe slopes with little to no sources of human disturbance. Also, these sites must have trees that are large enough to support a nest that can weigh over 200 kg. In order to maximize the chances of having Black Vultures nesting within the project's area of implementation, we will build artificial nests which, coupled to the trees, will provide the necessary conditions for this species to breed.
So far, field work only took place in the Mourão/Moura/Barrancos SPA, in areas around Barrancos. The technicians have selected a number of areas which offer the necessary conditions for Black Vultures to nest, in terms of their habitat, topography and distance to sources of disturbance. These areas are now being sampled, in order to identify a number of trees which may offer the necessary conditions to receive an artificial nest. These trees, mostly cork and Holm oaks, are measured, and information is gathered regarding the surrounding habitat and the distance to disturbance sources. These data will be used to select the best trees.
We hope to place the first artificial nest shortly.