Ljubljana Zoo has sponsored part of the video monitoring at the vulture feeding station in the Lago di Cornino reserve. The online cameras installed at the feeding station are a fundamental tool for the management and monitoring of griffon vultures, other wildlife and the area itself.
The video monitoring system offers the wider public an engaging view of griffon vultures at the feeding station, and allows the centre's managers to observe the surroundings, especially at the feeding site. The video monitoring system also makes it possible to check for the presence of unauthorised people on site or of any other disturbances at the feeding station.
The cameras are used first and foremost for observing and monitoring vultures. They allow ornithologists to check the rings on the legs of birds that are "in the restaurant". They can also check their age and condition.
The cameras are used to collect and store photographs and films that are essential for scientific research, and that can also be used in public communication. The system makes it possible to safely and efficiently operate the bird-trapping devices at the feeding station. Trapped birds are then fitted with rings and subjected to health research.
By observing the animals and their behaviour, it is possible to determine the best time to catch them in a specially safe trap, avoiding any harm to the birds. The system will soon be further developed with the option of operating the traps directly from a computer linked via the webcam. Some data gathered through ringed animals and the video monitoring system:
Between 2015 and 2018, rings and the monitoring system at the feeding station documented the presence of griffon vultures from the following locations:
- 180 from Croatia
- 14 from Spain
- 12 from France
- 6 from Israel
- 4 from Bulgaria.
The cameras allow precise counting of the birds that come to the feeding station. The figures range from a maximum of around 150 birds in winter to more than 350 birds in summer.
