Landfills provide food availabilty but have a negative impact on the physiology of Egyptian vultures

A recent study monitored a population of Egyptian vultures in the Iberian Peninsula and showed that birds prefer to nest in areas near landfills. Fledglings fed with food collected from landfills are "better fed" and experience "fewer food shortages" than those who are not, but this new food resource seems to have an impact on the health of Egyptian vultures.

Long term link between the food diet and the breeding success in a declining population of Egyptian vultures.

Context :

Between 2000 and 2009, a study was carried out in Andalusia, southern Spain, whose aim was to analyse the productivity and food habits of Egyptian vultures in 13 territories. The annual 3.4 % decline of the inhabited territories is alarming. In less than a decade, the number of inhabited territories went down from 33 to 23 over the 170 000 km2 studied zone.