Rare Griffon vulture found dead, shot at

DECEMBER 5TH, 2017 

GEORGE PSYLLIDES CYPRUS,

Although it was shot at, authorities on Tuesday were carrying out tests to determine the exact cause of death of one of the few Griffon vultures on the island whose carcass was found at Zapalo beach in Episkopi, Limassol.

Conservation group BirdLife Cyprus said an x-ray showed the presence of pellets but a necropsy was also underway to confirm whether it was a shooting that killed the bird or if it died of poisoning, the most frequent cause of death of vultures in Cyprus.

BirdLife said preliminary tests showed the bird most probably died from the shooting but more tests were underway to check for evidence of poisoning.

“This x-ray alone, however, paints a gloomy picture for the species,” BirdLife said. “Why was it even shot at? With only around 20 vultures left on the island, each death comes at a great cost for the species’ survival.”

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‘Adopt a bird’ to boost conservation efforts

 April 24th, 2017   

Annette Chrysostomou 
 
Members of the public are being encouraged to ‘adopt a bird’ by BirdLife Cyprus to contribute to the conservation of priority species and their habitats in Cyprus.

“This is a new part of the organisation’s effort to raise awareness about the birds of Cyprus and fund its critical conservation work,” the conservation organisation said on Monday.

The scheme asks people to make a €35 donation to the NGO to symbolically adopt a bird. Donor have a choice of one of three species: the greater flamingo, the griffon vulture and the European roller.

In return, they will receive an adoption package.

The package includes an illustration of the bird they have chosen by award-winning illustrator Daphne Christoforou printed on A4 archival-certified paper, an adoption certificate and postcards with information about the bird to help the ‘adoptive parent’ learn more and spread the word.

The three birds have been chosen because they are not only visually striking, but also a conservation priority both in Cyprus and Europe and depend on habitats such as wetlands and farmlands which BirdLife Cyprus works hard to protect.

Thousands of flamingos come to the island’s salt lakes during the winter months. In spring and summer the rollers breed on Cyprus’ farmlands. The vultures, the largest birds on the island, are the most threatened of all of them.

 

To adopt a bird see www.birdlifecyprus.org/adopt-a-bird or contact Elena Markitani by calling 22-455072 or mailing elena.markitani@birdlifecyprus.org.cy

 
Continued

Rare osprey found shot dead by Akhna dam poachers

The illegal shooting of a rare, beautiful and strictly protected Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) this autumn highlighted the plight of Akhna dam, an important wetland that is currently plagued by poachers and illegal bird trappers using shot-guns, mist nets and limesticks. 

BirdLife Cyprus is calling for urgent anti-poaching action to change the Famagusta area wetland from a poachers’ “playground” to the sanctuary for breeding waders and migrating birds that it should be by law. 

Bird watchers have reported an unusually large number of ospreys passing through Akhna dam during September and October, using it as a stopover on their migratory journey from northern Europe, where they breed, to their African wintering grounds. However even this magnificent bird species did not escape the attention of the poachers and one was found shot dead this month. 

Despite the protection status the dam has, there is a serious problem with poaching and illegal bird trapping in the area. The incident of the shot Osprey is not an isolated one but on the contrary, poaching in the Akhna dam has become extensive, Birdlife said. “Furthermore illegal bird trapping with non-selective methods such as mist nets and limesticks has been widespread this autumn, both at Akhna Dam and more widely, contributing to large scale killing of birds, many of them threatened. This equates to an ecological disaster,” it added. 

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/akhna/rare-osprey-found-shot-dead-akhna-dam-poachers/20121031