Vaša košarica je trenutno prazna!
May my first flight not be my last
Every year, 30 young griffon vultures fall from their nests due to inexperience, but also because of irresponsible human behavior
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The griffon vulture is the only surviving scavenger in Croatia — a precious natural cleaner that builds its nest on sea cliffs for its young. But the environment it has adapted to is no longer the same. The steep cliffs have become attractive and accessible to everyone, and human activities are increasingly noisy and occurring closer to the nests — especially during summer, when vultures are raising their chicks.
During summer, the chicks begin their first flights, but due to inexperience and disturbance by people, they end up in the sea instead of soaring in the sky. When this happens, they often drown, and in those moments, every minute counts in order to save them from death.
Vulture rescue efforts can be even more successful thanks to the LIFE SUPport project funded by the EU. As part of the project, a volunteer team will be formed to work with the Public Institution “Priroda” to intensify sea searches for fallen vultures in the Kvarner area. Additionally, they will focus on educating people about how to behave near cliffs and vulture nests.
Your donation will help us secure boat trips and an experienced skipper
Your donation will help us cover travel and meal expenses for the vulture patrol volunteers
Your donation will help us during the most critical time of the year, when we actively search for and rescue vultures from the sea
How will your donation help us?
For every €10, we can alert and inform one tour boat that is passing too close to the cliffs
For every €20, we can scan 10 nautical miles of sea surface per day in search of fallen chicks
For every €50, we can rescue one griffon vulture chick from drowning and certain death
Why do vulture chicks perish?
When they are ready to leave the nest, griffon vulture chicks dare to take their first flight. However, with the increasing traffic and noise from tour and diving boats—brought closer so tourists can photograph the cliffs and griffon vultures—the chicks become disturbed. Irresponsible human behavior, the loudness of boat engines, and approaching the cliffs closer than 10 meters create noise and disturbance. This, combined with the inexperience of the young chicks, causes as many as 30 of them each year to end their first flight in the sea, and many of them drown. Disturbance by humans also affects adult vultures because the parents begin to avoid the nests, stop feeding their young, or even abandon the nest, leaving eggs or chicks unprotected.
Yes, I want to stop the chicks from dying!
Learn more!
Griffon Vulture – the last magnificent scavenger in Croatia
The griffon vulture is the only scavenger bird in Croatia. It has found its refuge and peace only in the area of the Kvarner islands and Učka. With just 125 pairs, the griffon vulture is an endangered species.
It is a large and striking bird, with a wingspan that can reach up to 3 meters. It can spot a carcass the size of a sheep from 7 kilometers away. Griffon vultures are nature’s cleaners; they play a crucial role in our ecosystem and are inseparably linked with sheep farming on the Kvarner islands. They feed on dead animals, thus preventing the spread of potential infections and diseases to other animals and even humans. The griffon vulture is the only bird that can safely consume carcasses without getting infected by dangerous bacteria.
Once the chick becomes independent and learns to fly, usually during the summer, it embarks on a multi-year journey. From Cres, vultures travel west to Spain and east to Greece and Turkey, but after a few years, they return to Cres. At that point, the bird becomes ready to become a parent and starts looking for a mate
- The female lays a single egg from January to March, which she incubates for about 50 days.
- They are monogamous, so once they find a partner, they stay together for life and share in raising their chick
- Griffon vultures never kill other animals for food
- The lifespan of a griffon vulture is about 35 years, and some live over 40
