The attack unfolds
(Video: Birds of Prey Live)
The nesting season for large birds of prey in Israel has kicked off, and with it, the live broadcasts of the "Birds of Prey Live" project. A few weeks ago, live streaming began from the nests of five pairs of critically endangered vultures in Israel. This week, the season's biggest drama unfolded: one of the vulture chicks, just 114 days old, was attacked by a foreign vulture and fell from a cliff about 328 feet high, sparking serious concerns for its survival. Miraculously, after about 14 hours, the chick was found at the bottom of the canyon.
Nikita Podubriyev, a ranger from the Nature and Parks Authority, along with other rangers, braved the darkness of the canyon to search for the chick. "After an extended scan, we found vulture feathers at the bottom of the canyon, some fresh and some wet, which heightened our concerns," he said. "Despite meticulously scanning the canyon, the chick was not found. At first light, we returned to the stream, and to our delight, we located the chick standing at the lower part of the canyon. We stayed to monitor it throughout the day to assess its condition and check if its parents came to feed it."
Dr. Gilad Friedman, director of the "Birds of Prey Live" project, explained that most vulture chicks fledge at the age of 130-145 days, making this chick still too young to fly on its own. "We assessed that the chick seemed okay, but since it hadn't yet decided to fly and hadn't received food from its parents—likely due to its low position in the nest—we began to worry. As night fell, we continued to monitor and even spotted a curious fox that checked us out several times. However, due to the size difference, the fox didn't pose a real threat to the vulture. In the morning, the chick continued waiting at the bottom of the cliff, and only after two days did we see it receiving food from its parents. We still fear that it might not be enough and continue to monitor closely."
The live broadcasts are part of the ninth season of the "Birds of Prey Live" project. These online cameras stream 24/7, revealing the hidden world of Israel's large and mysterious birds of prey. Viewers are captivated by the nesting process, incubation, hunting, and chick-rearing until their successful fledging (and even some dramatic and sad failures).
"Thanks to the project, about 30 million viewers from around the world and tens of thousands of students in Israel tune in each year," said Dr. Yoav Perlman, director of the Israeli Ornithological Center at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. "We've documented and learned about the complex biology and survival struggles of birds of prey and discovered facts that can't be learned in any other way. The large birds of prey in Israel, and vultures in particular, help us highlight the importance of open spaces and biodiversity to the public."
Dr. Perlman added, "We wish the young chicks to grow strong and become impressive birds of prey, joining all the young ones of 2024, who are expected to support and bolster the vulture population that is in significant danger. The poisonings that occurred last year, claiming the lives of 17 vultures, only emphasize the importance of closely protecting the new generation of vultures in Israel."
The vulture is a large diurnal bird of prey with a wingspan of up to 8.7 feet. Its long neck and large, strong beak are well-suited for eating carcasses and tearing their skin. The vulture's strong and acidic stomach helps neutralize the bacteria and decay in the carrion. Because of these traits, the vulture plays a crucial role in the ecosystem by "cleaning up" carcasses and preventing the spread of various diseases.
Ohad Tsafrir, a bird ecologist at the Nature and Parks Authority, said, "The vulture is classified as a critically endangered species in Israel and much of its range in the eastern Mediterranean basin due to deliberate poisonings against predators with pesticides. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the vulture population nesting in Israel has significantly declined. At the time of the state's founding, hundreds of vulture pairs nested in Israel. By the early 2000s, about 80 pairs nested, and the decline continued over the last 15 years. Today, the population is estimated at only about 40 nesting pairs. Therefore, the vulture conservation project in Israel has been defined as a national project, with significant efforts invested, led by the Nature and Parks Authority and other bodies."