In the framework of the Life Project “GypHelp”, the Vulture Conservation Foundation produced a report about the monitoring of the bearded vultures in the French Alps (in French) during 2014, in collaboration with the partners Asters, Parc National du Mercantour and Parc National de la Vanoise.
The Life Project “GypHelp”, led by Asters, started in June 2014 and aims to prevent and reduce the anthropogenic influence on Bearded Vultures in the regions Haute Savoie, Savoie and Mercantour (French Alps). Project actions will try to minimise and/or eliminate mortality of the birds due to collision and electrocution with cables, and enhance the reproductive success with the reduction of anthropogenic disturbance.
This first monitoring report serves as a baseline to be able to measure the development of the population in the next years, during the Life project. In 2014 nine different pairs bred in the French Alps, from which six young bearded vultures fledged. One pair in the Parc National de la Vanoise stopped incubating because a speed glider flew too close to the nest. For the new ongoing breeding season (2014-2015) this pair built a new nest and the protection zone was enlarged. In Haute-Savoie two young birds were colour-ringed by the team of Asters. At the same time a genetic samples (feather) from both young birds was taken and will be analyzed to determine a genetic fingerprint. Any feather which will be found later can then be assigned to an individual. The breeding pairs of the French Alps are part of the most important nucleus of bearded vultures in the Alps (the northwestern group). Last year a total of nineteen bearded vultures fledged across the Alpine arc – a new record!- hence the birds from the GypHelp region made up 30% of all fledged birds. Besides the breeding pairs, at least thirteen other bearded vultures were observed in the project region.
All details can be found in the report which can be downloaded below.
Many thanks to everybody who helped with the report, specially the teams from Asters, Parc National du Mercantour and Parc National de la Vanoise.
You can also down load the LIFE GYPHELP project brochure below.
Bearded Vulture Monitoring report 2014-12_GypHelp_D2_reportMonitoring_VCF. Adobe Acrobat Document 1.1 MB Download LIFE GYPHELP – presentation brochure ASTERS Dépliant Life Gyp Help BD final.p Adobe Acrobat Document 1.3 MB Download
