05/09/2026
It’s International Vulture Awareness Day, and we, here at Millets Wildside, we LOVE VULTURES.
But why do vultures need their own day and what awareness are we hoping to spread?
Vultures are one of the most endangered group of birds on the planet with 14 of the 23 species recognised as globally threatened. A 2016 study classified nine as critically endangered, three as endangered, four as near threatened, and six as of least concern. But why are these birds so threatened?
There are many problems facing threats facing vultures around the world with pretty much all of the problems being mad-made (no surprises there!).
Vultures inhabit 5 continents, Europe, Asia, Africa, as well as North and South America.
Threats to vultures across the world are very varied-
Electrocution from powerlines
Impact from wind turbines as their skull and eye anatomy does not allow them to see the turbine blades as they fly
Illegal killing and poisoning due to human-animal conflict
Lead poisoning from eating carcasses who have previously been shot
Limited food availability due to a lack of other wild animals and due to the laws on leaving fallen livestock out in fields
Veterinary drugs, like Diclofenac, are toxic to vultures if they eat treated animals
Insecticides and rodenticides also kill vultures through bioaccumulation
In Africa specifically, Elephants have begun destroying the nesting trees of Lappet-faced Vultures.
Habitat degradation and increasing fires
Why is it important to protect vultures?
Vultures play an integral role in an ecosystem with benefits to the environment, other wildlife and humans too-
Benefits to the environment
They remove animal carcasses: Vultures quickly consume dead animals, helping keep landscapes clean.
They recycle nutrients: Digested remains return nutrients to the soil through vulture waste.
They support ecosystem balance: By efficiently disposing of carrion, vultures play an essential role in natural food webs.
They reduce pollution: Fast carcass removal limits decay and contamination of soil and water.
Benefits to other animals
They limit disease transmission: Removing carcasses reduces breeding and feeding opportunities for disease-carrying insects and scavengers.
They reduce competition among scavengers: Vultures consume carcasses rapidly, preventing large accumulations of rotting meat.
They help control populations of feral scavengers: Where vultures disappear, animals such as feral dogs and rats become more numerous.
They help other scavengers find food: Circling vultures can guide mammals and birds to carcasses.
Benefits to humans
They protect public health: Vultures help remove remains that could support pathogens or attract disease-carrying pests.
They may reduce rabies risks: Healthy vulture populations can limit food available to feral dogs, which are major carriers of rabies in some regions.
They provide free waste disposal: Vultures naturally remove livestock carcasses, reducing disposal costs for farmers and communities.
They support eco-tourism and education: Birdwatching and wildlife tourism involving vultures can benefit local economies.
They have cultural importance: Many communities value vultures in religious traditions, stories, and funeral practices.
Many of the threats claim the lives of tens of thousands, if not millions, of vultures every year. Luckily, there are lots of wonderful charities working incredibly hard to reduce the threats that vultures face, conduct research to monitor vulture populations, rehabilitate injured or sick wild birds, and captive breed birds to create an insurance population and release birds where appropriate.
The Vulture Conservation Foundation, VulPro, S.A.V.E (Save Asian Vultures from Extinction), The Horstmann Trust, Peregrine Fund, are some of the hard working charities who are working hard to make the changes that vultures need. We would, of course, encourage everyone to support them in any way they can.
Here at Millets Wildside we raise money to support vulture charities via our "Wild Conservation Fund", any money that goes into that account is directly donated to wildlife charities.
We are currently approving the final stages of donating this year's money to a new charity, but more on this soon.
Please support these wildlife charities and your local zoos who contribute to conservation.
