Flow Map on Egyptian Vulture Migration

This flow map was developed as a final project for the course Geocomunication in University of Salzburg, Austria. The map aims to illustrate the long-distance migration of a critically endangered bird species – the Egyptian Vulture. In the past ten years the species has been of increased focus to research and conservaton project actvites, due to its rapid decline (BirdLife Internatonal, 2007). Hundreds of birds have been tagged with GPS receivers to help scientists investigate and evaluate the main reasons of bird’s death and population decline. The GPS tracks also revealed to the general public some powerful and touching stories of individual birds. Those birds have survived the harsh migration journey of more than 4,000 km, only to find their death at their final destination due to anthropogenic threats.

The Egyptian vulture is native to Asia, Africa and Europe, whereas Europe is home to 50 % of the global population. (3000–4700 breeding pairs; BirdLife Internatioonal, 2020). Each winter the birds native to Europe migrate to Africa where they feed during the cold season. Multiple threats endanger the survival of the species and most of those threats are associated with the annual migration. GPS Satellite tracking is the most used method by conserva􀆟on biologists to study the fates of individual birds and to learn about the danger along the flyway. It has revealed that the major threats are inadvertent poisoning, illegal hunting, collisions with wind turbines, electrocution with badly designed electricity pylons, and persecution for traditional African medicine. Satellite tracking maps also show the geographic variability of all the threats and the hotspots of birds’ deaths.

Maps, which contain tracks of vulture migration, are important tools for communicating the significance of vulture conservation. They provide visual representation for scientists and illustrate to policymakers the large scale and complexity of migration. Maps aid in conservation planning by highlighting priority areas for protection along the flyway. They also serve as an educational tool to raise public awareness and to inspire public engagement.