Trail cameras installed in the Drakensberg Mountains in eastern South Africa have been monitoring a rare bearded vulture and its burgeoning young.
Under the YouTube account Bird Parenting (@BirdParenting), the so-called "Nestflix footage" showcases the nest through the early stages of maternal care, including the hatching and feeding processes.
Bearded vultures are considered critically endangered in the region, which makes the progress of this new fledgling all the more spectacular. According to the video, the adult vulture originally laid two eggs during the month of June, but only the second of the two actually hatched by its expected date in mid-August. Experts anticipate that the lone chick will fledge for a little over 100 days in total.
Due to their vulnerable status, conservation efforts around the world are attempting to nurture bearded vulture populations and boost their numbers. Among these is the Maloti-Drakensberg Vulture Project, which is responsible for the monitoring and tracking of this vulture nest — among others — via trail cameras as well as satellite transmitters.
By documenting not only the birds themselves but also their health, breeding patterns, foraging ranges, population numbers, and the like, the leading scientists can observe trends and help gear conservation strategies in accordance with the species' needs.
It's not just bearded vultures, of course. Trail cameras are useful in monitoring a range of species, even those that aren't at immediate risk, as they can oversee the general well-being of a population and the fruits of any conservation efforts in the area.
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Protecting biodiversity is essential not only for at-risk wildlife but also for our own human populations, especially as urban activities and warming climates threaten to displace species and destroy their natural habitats.
After all, while the reverberations of a crumbling ecosystem can be felt in the loss of the natural resources that sustain our communities, particularly through our food supply, the opposite can be said for an ecosystem that recovers from human-induced damage and thrives with human support.
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