Confirmed cases of Rüppell’s Vulture Gyps rueppelli breeding in Senegal: advocating systematic sampling to reassess the conservation status of the species in West Africa

Abstract

Vulture populations are declining across Africa and the conservation status of Rüppell’s Vulture Gyps rueppelli has changed from Near Threatened in 2007 to Critically Endangered in 2015. Its global population was estimated at 30 000 individuals in the early 1990s and since then there have been no accurate estimates. During that period, it was observed that this cliff-nesting species stood out as one of the least studied vultures, particularly within the region of West Africa. During the 1960s there were breeding records of this species in Senegal, but these were later discarded on the ground that they had been misidentified, because they were tree-nesting events. It is noteworthy that, during a period when the decline of known populations and the scarce availability of data on the species is highlighted, Rüppell’s Vulture is frequently sighted beyond its typical range, namely in both Europe and southern Africa. In this study, we verify the breeding of Rüppell’s Vulture in Senegal, consistently noting nesting on trees. Based on the conducted counts, we provide an estimation of age ratio and conservative values regarding the abundance of the species in the area. We also give information on the characteristics of the nests and on the phenology of reproduction in the area. Finally, we discuss the potential implications for the species of the recently discovered regular movement of Rüppell’s Vultures between West Africa and Europe, where the species now breeds.