In 2024, the International Foundation for Mediterranean Biodiversity launched an urgent appeal to protect the smallest of the vultures: the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus). This bird is now critically endangered in Italy, with the largest remaining population (only 4–5 pairs) found in Sicily.
We are therefore very pleased to announce that, after nearly fifty years of absence from the Madonie Mountains, a chick was born in June 2025 from a pair that had settled in the area in 2024 and returned to nest in 2025. The nesting and the chick’s birth were documented thanks to the continuous monitoring carried out by the experts of the Foundation.
A crucial role was played by the presence of a feeding station in the area known as Terra dei Poveri (Isnello), managed by the International Foundation for Mediterranean Biodiversity. The feeding station is supplied with fallow deer and wild boar from the selective culling program conducted by the Madonie Park Authority. Originally created to support the reintroduction of the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) in the Madonie, the feeding station had already attracted several Egyptian Vultures in 2024. It enabled the formation of a new pair that returned to the Madonie in 2025 and successfully nested.
We would like to share a few reflections on this achievement:
- The creation of feeding stations is now essential for the protection of scavenger birds, as it keeps them away from carcasses on roadsides or other dangerous places, providing them with safe, healthy food on a daily basis;
- Active conservation efforts by those who care about the survival of rare species in Sicily can sometimes yield excellent results;
- Passion and love for Nature are always powerful forces;
- This result will be significant for the upcoming management plan of the Madonie Park.