New KBA Survey Confirms Breeding Bearded Vultures in the Zagros Foothills

Field teams working across the Zagros foothills have confirmed an active Bearded Vulture nest within one of the Key Biodiversity Areas tracked on our Wildlife Map, following several weeks of remote observation and follow-up site visits.

Bearded Vultures are listed as Near Threatened, and confirmed breeding records anywhere in the Kurdistan Region remain rare. The survey team plans to monitor the nest through the rest of the season without disturbing the birds, and will publish updated population notes on the species' page once fledging is confirmed.

This finding reinforces the conservation value of the surrounding KBA and will feed into future protected-area planning discussions.