Satellites to save endangered birds

Protecting the few specimens of a species about to disappear is a difficult task. Now, thanks to aGPS systemyou can know their exact location in any part of the world and in what situation they are. The organization responsible for this initiative isWWF, whathas chosen the Egyptian vulture for this project because it is one of the most punished birds of the Spanish fauna. Each movement made by the four specimens is recorded at www.elviajedelalimoche.com, where you can see the 3,000 km that these birds travel on their migration to the south of Mauritania.

Sahel, Trigo, Vega and Duna are the four Egyptian vultures selected for this study. Where they are, feed, procreate and die are the questions that can now be answered with greater precision to prevent their disappearance. For example, Atlas was a specimen that did not complete its journey. Thanks to this technology, it was known the cause of his death was the poison to kill foxes placed on a farm in the Extremadura province of Badajoz.

In the last 15 years, the Egyptian vulture population has decreased by 25% due to various causes, such as collisions with power lines or poisoned baits.“The Journey of the Egyptian Vulture”shows the migratory adventure through multiple dangers and aims to increase scientific knowledge about this species to promote its conservation. This interactive online space consists of a 3D map, photos and videos that allowfollow the four birds through their journey through Spain and Africa.

The project has been carried out on the occasion of theYear of Biodiversity. In our country there are more than 50 species in danger of extinction and, according to Gema Rodríguez, coordinator of the initiative, “this technology may be applied to other animals in the future.” The black vulture or the red kite are two candidates for GPS tracking.

Diego Lopez Donaire