As part of project LIFE GYPCONNECT, that aims to establish a breeding population of bearded vultures in the Massif Central, as well as in the Pre-Alps, through reintroduction, and promoting dispersal movements between the Alps and the Pyrenean populations, two supplementary feeding points either side of the River Aude valley, between the Pre-Pyrenees and the Massif Central mountains, on a raptor passage corridor, have now been established.
The idea is to attract bearded vulture down from the Pyrenees to the lower mountains, and establish a passage point across the valley of the Aude River eastwards to the Grands Causses. Our partners LPO Aude have now established and are managing two small supplementary feeding sites, that will be provisioned with the bones so much favoured by the bearded vultures – one at the Montagne Noir, not very far away from the Hérault and Tarn rivers, east of the Aude valley, the other at the Massif des Corbières, west of the river valley, and approximately 40 km from the nearest bearded vulture breeding pair in the Pyrenees.
Recently an adult bearded vulture was seen above the Corbiéres supplementary feeding site – certainly the bird that has frequented that area last Spring-Summer-Autumn – a good omen for the corridor project!
The LIFE+ project GYPCONECT is led by the League pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), in partnership with the VCF, Vautours en Baronnies, Centre National d’ Informations Toxicologiques Vétérinaires, Electricité Réseau Distribution France, Parc National des Cévennes, Parc Naturel Régional du Vercors, and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie – Paris 6.
Photos LPO Aude
