A monitoring and conservation program for the Monk Vulture (Aegypius monachus) is underway in the Drôme department, as well as in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Occitanie regions. This effort is deemed necessary to analyze the population's evolution and guide conservation actions for this species, which has benefited from several reintroduction programs in France.
As part of the National Action Plan, a derogation request has been filed to authorize various operations essential for the species' conservation. These include capture (for care, release, or tagging), detention for tagging purposes, transport of live or dead birds, and the collection and use of dead specimens or biological material.
The primary objective of this project, which is exclusively scientific and conservation-oriented, is to ensure long-term individual and population monitoring. It also aims to improve knowledge of demographic dynamics, movements, and connectivity between populations, identify causes of mortality to reduce anthropogenic pressures, and support the sustainable establishment of new populations in ecological continuity zones.
This data is crucial for assessing the species' conservation status and the effectiveness of the National Action Plan measures. Activities are carried out by several entities, including the Grands Causses site of the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO France), the Cévennes National Park, the association Vautours en Baronnies, LPO PACA, and LPO Occitanie Territorial Delegation of Aude and Hérault.
In the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the Drôme department is specifically involved in these operations until 2030. The National Council for Nature Protection (CNPN) was consulted and issued its opinion on May 5, 2026. The public consultation is open from October 1 to October 16, 2026, inclusive.
