This is one of the busiest periods of the year for us here at the VCF, coordinating and advising the bearded vulture captive breeding center. Across the 40+ zoos, animals parks, specialized breeding centres in our network, young bearded vultures are now hatching almost every day (see video), and our specialized captive breeding experts are in constant daily communication with all the bird curators and zoo staff, to try to create all the conditions for the young birds to make it. If they do – then good chances are that they will be released in the three reintroduction projects which the VCF is co-coordinating – in the Alps (several sites), Grands Causses (France) and Andalucia (Spain).
Each young bearded vulture is therefore very valuable – we rely on them for the gradual restoration of the species across the European mountains. It is also valuable for the parents – as you can see in the video, where an adult bearded vulture delicately helps a chick coming out of an egg. The short movie was shot in the specialized bearded vulture captive breeding centre of Vallcalent (Catalonia) this weekend.
