Once soaring freely over Maestrazgo, the Bearded Vulture (Gypeatus Barbatus) vanished from these skies in the mid-1900s. Now, thanks to a reintroduction project launched in 2018 by the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) in partnership with the Generalitat of Valencia, the Autonomous Communities of Aragón and Catalonia, and the The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), they are finally making a comeback in the area.
Captive-bred vultures have been released in Parque Natural de la Tinença de Benifassà, with artificial nests providing a safe start. Non-breeding adults from the Pyrenees have also been relocated to encourage colony formation. Their movements are tracked via satellite transmitters, offering vital insights into their adaptation.
So, where are these vultures now?
Where are they now?
Each released vulture carries a small satellite transmitter, a technological lifeline that allows researchers to monitor their movements, habits, and survival. Supplementary feeding stations strategically placed throughout the region encourage the birds to remain in Maestrazgo, offering them the sustenance needed as they adapt to their new environment. But the real story lies in the individual journeys of these birds.
Since the project’s launch, 17 Bearded Vultures have been released in the area. Fourteen are still flying, while three have been lost—two to Golden Eagle attacks and one to a power line collision. Most of the surviving birds remain within the region, with some occasionally venturing farther afield. Here you can see the movements of the birds in 2024.
- Alos (male) & Amic (male): Alos and Amic were the first captive-bred Bearded Vultures released in Maestrazgo in 2018. Alos remains in his territory near Ordesa, as he has done for several years. It is highly likely that he is breeding in the area, although successful reproduction has not yet been confirmed. Amic on the other hand is loyal to the release site Tinença, he has left only once, spending the rest of the time sharing the area with Bassi.
- Bassi (male) & Boira (female): These two were released in 2019. Bassi is also loyal to Tinença, rarely leaving the area. Although he has made several trips to the Pyrenees during this period, he has not left Tinença since September 1st. Boira unfortunately lost her transmitter in April 2022 and seems to have settled in the western Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. The last sighting was on November 16th in the Boumort mountains.
- Celest (female): Celest was released in 2020 together with Coco, who unfortunately died later on the same year. Celest travels widely but hasn’t settled in a specific territory.
- Dalila (female) & Dena (female): Dalila and Dena were released in 2020 together with another male Durall. Durall unfortunately is no longer alive. He was found dead and necropsy confirmed that the head injuries on the skull were found, which suggests a golden eagle attack. Dalila remains in Maestrazgo. However, she does not show clear territorial behavior, as she moves across a wider area rather than a defined territory. Dena was in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula at the beginning of 2024, she moved to the Maestrazgo region of Teruel in February and has only left the area a couple of times to visit La Rioja and occasionally the Tinença de Benifassà Natural Park.
- Farigola (female) & Flora (female): Farigola and Flora were released in 2023 together with Fredolic (male). Unfortunately Fredolic has lost his transmitter so his status is unknown. Farigola rhas barely left the Maestrazgo region throughout 2024, mainly moving between Tinença and the Maestrazgo area of Teruel. Despite being still young, she has not made long-distance flights in the past two years, which suggests she might settle in the region. Flora started the year in the Maestrazgo region, since the end of March she has been moving through the northern area of the Aragonese Pyrenees.
- Gea (female), Guaita (female) & Genista (female) : The youngest ones of the group, these special three ladies were released together in 2024. Gea moves between Teruel, Castellón, and Cuenca, Guaita Mostly stays in Tinença, with some visits to Maestrazgo Turolense and Genista alternates between Tinença and Maestrazgo Turolense.
Looking Ahead
This reintroduction effort is more than a conservation project—it’s a long-term commitment to restoring a species that once thrived here. By closely monitoring the birds, refining strategies, and engaging local communities, the VCF and its partners are working to ensure that the Bearded Vulture once again becomes a familiar sight over Maestrazgo.
You can follow the movements of the Bearded Vultures we released in Maestrazgo on our online public maps page. We look forward to seeing the evolution of these individuals, hoping that most of them will settle in Maestrazgo once they reach sexual maturity.
