Egyptian Vulture Finds New Partner Following Death of Long-Time Mate

A female Egyptian vulture that nests on the island of Alegranza appears to have found a new male admirer just a few weeks after the death of her original partner.

The body of a male Egyptian vulture was discovered last month on the Playa la Cantería near Órzola. As it was tagged with a GPS locator, it could be confirmed as one of a pair of vultures that nest on Alegranza.

The dead male hatched near Órzola in 2014, and records show that it was highly active, flying regularly between Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and the northern islands of the Chinijo Archipelago.

Miguel Ángel Cabrera of the Canarian Government’s Nature Department told Lancelot TV that his team had checked the nest immediately they became aware of the death of the male bird. There they discovered that the female was still present, and appeared to have been joined by another vulture.

Cabrera said that vultures generally mate for life, but in the event of the death of a partner, females can pair up again quickly. His team is currently working to try and establish the cause of death of the original male bird.