CMS Technical Series No.35
CMS Raptors MOU Technical Publication No.5

Vultures are a distinctive and important components of biodiversity. They also provide critical ecosystem services by cleaning up carcasses and other organic waste in the environment, which has huge ramifications in preventing the spread of diseases in both wild and domestic animals, and pathogenic risks to humans.

The IUCN Red List status of African-Eurasian vultures has seen drastic changes for the worse in recent years. The main reason for this is major population declines of these species driven by poisoning, both intentional and otherwise. Several other threats have also been identified.

The Vulture Multi-species Action Plan (Vulture MsAP) was adopted by CMS Parties in 2017 at CMS COP12 providing a comprehensive, strategic conservation plan covering the geographic ranges (128 States) of all 15 species of migratory African-Eurasian vultures and promoting concerted, collaborative and coordinated international actions. The aim is to rapidly halt current population declines. This includes bringing the conservation status of each species back to a favourable level and providing conservation management guidelines applicable to all Range States. The Vulture MsAP is a result of extensive consultation with Range States, stakeholders, conservation specialists and species experts. 

Learn more about vultures, the activities of the Vulture MsAP Steering Group and the development of the Vulture MsAP here.

The following action plans are annexed to the Vulture MsAP as key components:

• Egyptian Vulture Flyway Action Plan (EVFAP) - Annex 4
• Cinereous Vulture Flyway Action Plan (CVFAP) - Annex 5
• Blueprint for the Recovery of South Asia's Critically Endangered Gyps Vultures (SAVE Blueprint) - Annex 6

The complete Vulture MsAP document, the first version of the Strategic Implementation Plan as well as summary documents of the Action Plan are available in different languages below.