Tracking data released by Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve for International Vulture Awareness Day shows two Eurasian Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus), after traveling across eight Middle Eastern countries, are now remaining within 100 km of their new home range.

Vulture 536 has settled in Armenia and Vulture 535 in Iraq. After 17 months in the sky, foraging across eight countries, the birds seem to have abandoned their nomadic lifestyle with neither bird ranging more than 100 km from its current chosen home site in the past twenty-four months. The Reserve’s science team says their flight patterns indicate the birds are most likely resident within wild Griffon vulture populations in their respective locations. Settling down within a chosen breeding colony is a common behavioral pattern in Eurasian Griffon vultures. They often switch from long-distance migrants to highly localized, year-round residents as they mature, driven by resource availability and environmental changes.

Since their release from the Reserve in the northwest of Saudia Arabia in April 2023, vulture 536 has journeyed through Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Vulture 535 traversed Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Iran. After this extended period of movement across the region, equivalent to circumnavigating the Earth six times, both birds have now remained in comparatively small areas for approximately two years.

“The use of technology at Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve is allowing us to track migratory, long-range species such as Eurasian Griffon vultures, Hawksbill and Green turtles in real time and inform management and conservation plans in ways never before possible. This tracking data highlights the importance of cross-boundary conservation solutions,” said Andrew Zaloumis, CEO of Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve.

The Eurasian Griffon vulture is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Globally, however, the IUCN reports that around seventy percent of the world’s vulture species are threatened with extinction. As this tracking data illustrates, these wide-ranging birds’ conservation depends on cooperation across borders, not single-site protection.

The tracking tags fitted to both birds use biodegradable straps designed to detach naturally over time. The Reserve will continue monitoring both vultures for as long as the tags remain active.

About Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve

One of eight Royal Reserves, the 24,500 km² Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve stretches from the lava plains of the Harrats to the deep Red Sea in the west, connecting NEOM, Red Sea Global, and AlUla. It is home to PIF’s Wadi Al Disah project and Red Sea Global’s Destination AMAALA.

The Reserve encompasses 15 distinct ecosystems. At just 1% of the Kingdom’s terrestrial area and 1.8% of its marine area, it boasts over 50% of the Kingdom’s mammal and bird species, making it one of the most biodiverse protected areas in the Middle East.

The Reserve is committed to restoring and conserving the natural and cultural environment. This includes the reintroduction of 23 historically occurring native species, 11 of which have already been reintroduced including the Arabian oryx, Persian Onager, Sand gazelle and Mountain gazelle, as part of a wide-ranging rewilding program.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve is one of eight royal reserves established by royal decree and overseen by the Royal Reserves Council chaired by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The Reserve’s program is integrated with Saudi Arabia’s wider sustainability and conservation programs, including the Saudi Green and Middle East Green Initiatives.