After a temporary stay at the Parc Naturel Régional de Corse (PNRC) raptor care centre, “Piuma”, a young Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), has triumphantly returned to her natural habitat. Her successful release on Tuesday, 12 November 2024 in the Rinosu Massif was a great relief for the LIFE GypRescue team and increases the hope for the species survival in Corsica.
A new beginning in Ghisoni
Piuma’s journey began in March 2024 at the RFZ captive-breeding centre in Austria, where she hatched as part of the Bearded Vulture EEP programme – ongoing efforts to protect the Bearded Vulture by breeding the species in captivity to restore their wild populations. In June, she was transported to Corsica and released in Ghisoni alongside another young female, “Culomba”.
The release was a special moment, marked by a gathering of local schoolchildren who named the birds and welcomed them to their new home. For Piuma, the rugged cliffs and open skies of the massif offered an ideal environment to begin her life in the wild, with plentiful food from sheep and goat carcasses and the safety of remote terrain.
A journey of survival
On 26 October 2024, four months after her release, Piuma surprised everyone by traveling over 72 km to the coastline near Olmeto and Propriano. This journey likely depleted her energy reserves, exacerbated by recent poor weather in the mountains that made foraging difficult. GPS data showed she landed in a meadow near the road and stayed there.
It was here that Marie Ettori and her family encountered her. Observing that Piuma was unable to fly, the Ettori family captured her and took her to the veterinary clinic in Propriano. This act of kindness quite likely saved her life, as remaining on the ground at night would have left her vulnerable to predators.
Veterinary specialists Dr. Folacci, Dr. Deleani (VetOvalis de Propriano clinic), and Dr. Savidan (GTV20 wildlife expert) provided immediate care, stabilizing her condition before she was transferred to the PNRC raptor care centre in Corte. There, Piuma began to recover her strength and energy, feeding well under expert supervision.
Regaining strength in expert care
While at the care centre, Piuma received excellent care to help her build the strength and energy she would need to survive in the wild. Fortunately, on 10 November she was able to be examined by Bearded Vulture specialists Hans Frey and Alex Llopis Dell before returning to the wild. Both experts were in Corsica for the LIFE GYPRESCUE seminar and the International Bearded Vulture Meeting, and their assessment confirmed that Piuma was in excellent health, clearing the way for her prompt release two days later.
A safe return to the wild
On 12 November, Piuma was released in the Rinosu Massif, an area she had explored extensively before her temporary care. This familiarity is expected to ease her reintegration into the wild. Importantly, her time at the care centre included regular artificial feeding, but her behaviour and flight patterns demonstrate no signs of human imprinting. With her strong flying skills and natural instincts intact, Piuma is well-equipped to thrive independently.
We are happy to see Piuma soar once again, embodying hope for the island’s Bearded Vulture population.
Thank you for the LIFE GypRescue and PNRC team for ensuring the successful release and for capturing this moment in this video.
Led by Parc naturel régional de Corse, in collaboration with Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, Direction des systèmes énergétiques insulaires, Fédération des Chasseurs de la Corse du Sud and us at the Vulture Conservation Foundation, the LIFE GYPRESCUE project (LIFE20 NAT/FR/001553) came to life in 2021 to prevent the extinction of the Bearded Vulture in Corsica. The project team strives to increase the population through restocking actions, improve the natural reproduction and boost the island’s nesting capacity for the species, while preventing human-related disturbance and mitigating threats to reduce mortality.
