Egyptian Vulture has been selected as the Bird of 2025’s year in Kazakhstan!

For the past three years, our team, in collaboration with the Russian Raptor Research and Conservation Network (RRRCN), has been conducting research on the Egyptian vulture population in Kazakhstan.

The selection of the Bird of the Year in Kazakhstan takes place through a voting process, which is open only to members of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ACBK). This year, there was a choice between the Egyptian vulture and the Brambling, with the majority voting for the Egyptian vulture.

The Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) is included in the Red Book of the Republic of Kazakhstan and is classified as "Endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

According to estimates from 2022, there are 348-639 breeding pairs of Egyptian vultures in Kazakhstan, averaging 502 breeding pairs (Karyakin et al., 2023).Karyakin et. al., 2023). https://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/2023/Suppl_17_09

The range of this species in Kazakhstan is located at the northernmost edge of its global range. The breeding area is divided into two sections, which are separated by 1,000 kilometers. These areas are the desert plateaus in the western part of the country, and the semi-desert mountains in the southern and southeastern parts of the country.

Unfortunately, this species faces a number of challenges due to various factors, including:

• Unintentional poisoning from poisonous baits used to control predatory mammals;
• Poisoning from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used in veterinary medicine;
• Anxiety during the breeding season;
• Death of birds due to collisions with overhead power lines;
• Expansion of mining activities near breeding areas;
• Construction of wind farms;
• Lack of food sources;
• Attacks by larger predators.

You can learn more about this species by reading our brochure at https://www.brcc.kz/2024/09/15/booklets-on-vultures-of-central-asia/