A study participated in by EHU-University of the Basque Country researcher Jon Morant highlights the importance of preserving vultures and proposes measures to strengthen their protection

The signatories of a letter published in the journal Conservation Biology warn of the threat posed by avian flu to vulture populations. They also highlight the potential impact that the decline in vultures could have on ecosystems and human wellbeing. To address this situation, they propose five courses of action: to monitor vulture populations, implement vaccination campaigns, manage the carrion, establish protocols for handling vultures, and promote local action plans.

Vultures are one of the most threatened group of birds in the world. Currently, at least 16 of the 23 species of vulture are of conservation concern, largely as a result of poisoning and other threats due to human activity. However, “they provide us with one of the most important ecosystem services for human wellbeing: they feed on decomposing animal carcasses, that harbour pathogens. It has been proven that scavengers help prevent or reduce the spread of pathogens. That is, they prevent disease-causing microorganisms from continuing to spread”, explains Jon Morant, researcher at the EHU-University of the Basque Country.

The avian flu virus (H5N1), which caused the panzootic —the equivalent of a pandemic in animals—, is highly contagious and could lead to the collapse of vulture populations, which are already in decline. In fact, it has been confirmed that the virus has spread widely in certain areas of the world that are critical for vultures, which has had serious consequences. For example, thousands of American black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) have died in the United States and South America. The virus has also had a significant impact on the Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in Europe and the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) in America. It should be noted that the California condor is critically endangered and that its wild population fell by 6% in just six weeks.

To warn of this threat and to establish courses of action to address the problem, Jon Morant, researcher at the Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology of the EHU, published a letter in the journal Conservation Biology, together with several researchers at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, Mallorca) and the Institute for Research in Biodiversity and Environment (INIBIOMA, Argentina). “We wanted to alert the research community and those responsible for conservation so that they could establish coordinated actions”, explains Morant.

A paradox

In general, “vultures are social animals and gather together at the feeding stations; that is, places where the risk of contagion is high. Moreover, they could contract the H5N1 virus if they consume infected animal carcasses. As scavengers, vultures are resistant to many bacteria and pathogens. However, this is not enough to protect them from the H5N1 virus”, explains Morant. The virus has a high fatality rate in both domestic and wild animals. Avian influenza does not exclusively affect birds: it has been documented that more than 48 species of mammal around the world have been infected. “The greater the number of infected carcasses, the greater the risk of contagion for the vultures. Since these carcasses can become sources of infection, a paradox arises: as more vultures die, the capacity to eliminate the carrion reduces, the pathogens spread and contagion increases”, explains the researcher.

Five courses of action

Researchers who sign the letter call on conservationists and managers to adopt a holistic and multi-dimensional approach to reducing the threat posed to vultures by the H5N1 virus.

Firstly, they consider it urgent to monitor vulture populations. “In the Basque Country, the Griffon vulture population is in a healthy condition, but the Egyptian vulture is a more sensitive. We need to pay particular attention to migratory species”, explains Morant. Secondly, they propose implementing vaccination campaigns when populations are at serious risk and where logistical conditions permit. “In the United States, in the case of the California condor, the research community has implemented a vaccination campaign in response to the high risk of the species becoming extinct”, he added.

The third course of action focuses on feeding stations for scavenger birds. “It is important that they are fed with non-contaminated carcasses.” The fourth course of action is aimed at researchers: “They must comply strictly with biosecurity protocols (use gloves, masks and protective equipment), especially when working with small populations or with threatened species.” Finally, they recommend developing and promoting action plans adapted to each context, since the countries where the vultures live have different socio-economic situations and highly diverse governance models.

The signatories of the letter are concerned about the problem and hope that, while the letter remains open, researchers and conservation managers will start to take action. “We propose using the letter as guide. To tackle this dangerous epidemiological situation, it is urgent to develop coordinated cross-border plans and to integrate these actions into shared governance structures”, concludes Morant.

Additional information

In addition to Jon Morant from the EHU, Andrea Santangeli (IMEDEA), Pablo Plaza (INIBIOMA) and Sergio A. Lambertucci (INIBIOMA) also signed the card.

Morant is a lecturer and researcher at the Álava Campus of the EHU, though he is currently undertaking a stay at the UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, Dublin, as part of a Basque Government postdoctoral programme.

Bibliographic reference

Jon Morant, Andrea Santangeli, Pablo Plaza, Sergio A. Lambertucci

Emerging threat of avian influenza to the world’s vultures

Conservation Biology

DOI: 10.1111/cobi.70372