Head of GONHS Raptor Unit Vincent Robba was awarded the Mayor's Award on the 25th March, "for his dedication to ornithology in Gibraltar, ensuring the wellbeing and preservation of birds."

Vincent has been rescuing and rehabilitating birds of prey for several decades and has had a passion for them since childhood. Over the years, Vincent has contributed significantly to the monitoring, protection, and public awareness of birds of prey along part of one of Europe’s most important migratory bottlenecks. 
The Raptor Unit’s rehabilitation of injured birds stretch back decades, with the most commonly affected birds being Short-toed Eagles and Griffon Vultures, but also tending to a large range of others, including birds that aren’t raptors. Many of the birds of prey arrive exhausted after crossing the Strait on migration and are often downed by Yellow-legged Gulls and Peregrine Falcons. The Unit’s work in rescuing, treating, rehabilitating and releasing these birds back into the wild have saved many hundreds of individuals over the years.
Vincent's work has included field observation and data collection, but importantly also active conservation measures, such as the protection of nesting sites and collaboration with local authorities to mitigate threats like habitat disturbance and illegal persecution. He has a particular passion for Peregrine Falcons and has spent most of his life observing and studying them on the Rock.

Vincent has also played a key role in education and outreach, helping to foster appreciation of raptors among both residents and visitors. 
Through his involvement in GONHS projects, he has contributed to the development of Gibraltar as a recognised centre for bird conservation. His dedication has ensured that raptor monitoring in Gibraltar provides valuable insights into population trends, conservation concerns and more recently, the movement of migrant and resident species using novel tracking technology.

Vincent and his team have also been instrumental in rescuing the Barbary Partridge population in Gibraltar, with a dedicated breeding programme, releasing hundreds of birds into the wild and safeguarding the future of this beautiful and emblematic bird on the Rock.