The Black Vulture 2003 Project, which was carried out in Kızılcahamam Soğuksu National Park between April 2003 and November 2003, aimed to determine the priorities for conservation for the black vulture species and to announce the solutions to the problems identified in field studies.
Black pine (Pinus nigra) and oak (Quercus sp.) forests are the main ecosystems of Kızılcahamam Soğuksu National Park, which is one of the largest known colonies of the black vulture (Aegypius monachus) species, whose numbers are rapidly decreasing in many parts of Europe. However, cutting pine trees above a certain height removes potential or used nest trees and adversely affects the reproductive success of the species. Another factor that negatively affects the breeding success of the black vulture is the uncontrolled access of visitors to every part of the area in Kızılcahamam Soğuksu National Park. The project focused on eliminating these threats and implementing the conservation action plan.
The project was supported by the Matra KNIP Program of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.