The resilience of the Black Vulture: Regeneration and growth in the Forest of Dadia after the devastating fires

After the great destructive fire of 2023, which left hundreds of thousands of burned acres behind, most people assumed that the Black vulture would leave Dadia. But data presented to the special parliamentary standing committee on environmental protection show that the Black vulture insists on nesting in the burnt and that its population has even increased, thanks to the efforts of the people of the Evros Delta & Dadia National Parks Management Unit of OFYPEKA, who installed artificial nests next to the burnt ones, so that the Black vulture could find them.

The Special Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environmental Protection was briefed on the progress of the rehabilitation of the fire-affected areas in the Dadia of Evros after the devastating fires of both 2022 and 2023. A delegation of the committee visited Dadia two days ago and today was the second time that the great stake in the restoration of this precious ecosystem was discussed. The MPs who visited Dadia found that the “forest is making a comeback” and asked the government to intensify efforts for its regeneration, restoration and shielding.

The birds of prey
Sylvia Zakak, deputy head of the Evros Delta and Dadia National Parks Management Unit of the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NEPA), said the fire did not burn with the same intensity throughout the region. In addition to the areas that were burned to the ground, there is an area where the fire burned mostly ground vegetation and some trees remained alive, in between there were green islands where animals managed to take refuge – and from these areas, experts expect to repopulate the burned areas. That is why, Ms. Zakak said, it is important that the state focus on ensuring the health of these stands and their sound management.

In 2022, about 40,000 acres burned, much of it within the core of the National Park, in a strictly protected area. In 2023 the destruction was even greater. “The birds remained in the area. During the fire they were flying around the outbreaks. There are large areas of completely burnt vegetation but among the burnt trees, there are some green trees and these are very important to be preserved, that is where the birds are now taking refuge to nest, now that they have returned and it is the breeding season,” Mrs. Zakak said.

As she informed the committee, studies for the construction of 15 artificial nests for the Black-backed Gull began immediately after the fire. These were placed next to trees that had burned and where there were nests of this species. So artificial nests were created next to the burnt ones, so that when the birds returned and looked for a place to nest, they would have an alternative. In the next two years, it is planned to install 20 such artificial nests.

“Transporting the artificial nests to these locations was very difficult because black vultures are very shy birds and do not nest next to roads where a truck could approach for installation. A helicopter was chartered to carry the nests one by one to a point and then we placed them in these locations,” said the deputy head of the Evros Delta & Dadia National Parks Management Unit of OFYPEKA, noting that it was finally possible, after the fire, to nest 38 pairs of black vultures, two more than in previous years. Thus, this year 44 pairs of black-winged teal have been recorded and this impressive increase “is due to the tremendous efforts made over the years.”

Some of these pairs prefer to nest in burnt trees rather than leave the area. The black grouse population is also recorded with pollinators to determine where they are in case of fire, to see if the way they feed and live has changed – and this is very important to plan future actions to protect the population.

Studies are also currently underway to map the suitability of nesting habitat for the black-tailed godwit outside the national park, to determine where the species could take refuge in the wider Thrace area, in case there are no suitable nesting sites in the national park, and the main movement corridors of the species and the areas where it feeds and roosts are being remapped.

The agency, after the fire, also installed 140 artificial nests for nocturnal raptors – there were already 76 nests before the fire – i.e. all species of owls nesting in cavities located in very large old trees. Until such suitable sites were created, artificial cavities were created for these birds to nest in, which were placed in live young trees, and last year it was found that about 20 of these cavities were used, which means that