Bearded vultures are now incubating their eggs across the Alps, including in the Grand Paradiso National Park, where there are at least two pairs.
Bearded vultures became extinct in the alpine chain in 1913 when the last vulture was killed precisely in this region, but they are now well re-established due to the reintroduction project managed by the VCF and its many partners across this mountain chain. Birds started to be released in 1986, bred for the first time in the wild eleven years later (1997), and have since increased almost exponentially – last year there were a total of 49 breeding territories in 4 countries (France-Switzerland-Italy-Austria), including 3 breeding pairs on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc, in the northwest Italian Alps, of which 2 in Gran Paradiso, in the valleys of Cogne and Valsavarenche. It was here that the staff of the park put a webcam near an old nest, where this bird was recently filmed.
Bearded vultures are back in the alpine skies – and impressing us with their beautiful and grace.
