A young Bearded Vulture was seen near Jönköping in Sweden on Monday and Tuesday. The bird -probably the same one that was seen last week in Holland, and then on the German Waddensea, was first identified at 16:00 on Monday 22 May near Jönköping, when a birder saw it being attacked by crows and a buzzard. Yesterday (23rd May) the Bearded Vulture was relocated nearby at 7 am, but then flew very high to the border area between regions Småland / Västergötland, Sweden.
Last Saturday 20th May a young bearded vulture had been seen on the Danish island of Møn. The bird – a 2nd calendar year – is not marked, and is probably wild born. This is probably a different bird than the one that roamed the Netherlands and Germany in February and March 2017, based on plumage differences and other features.
Flying great distances and exploring new areas is normal for young bearded vultures, particularly on their first Spring. To fly all the way to Scandinavia is not that common, but it happens every now and then, usually in May-June. Last year there a bearded vulture had already been seen in Denmark.
