Crete wildlife: New water supply systems installed for birds

The Museum of Natural History of Crete and the University of Crete have completed the installation of two additional specialized water supply systems for wildlife in the central and eastern mountainous regions of Crete. These new installations, located in the Asterousia and Dikti mountain ranges, bring the total number of such devices to five.

Designed to support endemic and migratory birds, the systems consist of metal rainwater collectors connected to storage tanks and specially constructed irrigation cavities with regulated flow. Each system is monitored online via day and night cameras to identify the species utilizing them. The project specifically targets areas with high concentrations of scavenger birds, such as the Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) and the Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus).

The initiative addresses the increasing pressures of the climate crisis, characterized by increasingly arid winters and a lack of surface water in the mountains. It also responds to habitat degradation caused by land-use changes, including the expansion of tourism and energy infrastructure, which have contributed to increased exhaustion and mortality rates among local bird populations.