Two feathered newcomers are spreading their wings in the French Prealps! Spirale and Troubadour, two young Bearded Vultures (Gypaetus barbatus), have just been released onto a hacking ledge in the Parc Naturel Régional du Vercors — marking another exciting milestone for the LIFE GypAct project and the ongoing return of this magnificent species to southern France.
Following the release of Ushuaia and Ubac on 27 May, y Univers on 10 June in Grands Causses, Spirale and Troubadour are now the latest additions to the population in Southern France.
Meet Spirale and Troubadour
Troubadour hatched on March 18 at Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium and was reared at the Puy du Fou – both valuable parts of the Bearded Vulture EEP captive breeding network. His “godparents” are Pauline Guillot, a mountain farmer producing the regional Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage cheese, and Grégoire, a representative of the AOP Picodon.
Spirale hatched on March 14 at Tiergarten Nuremberg in Germany, another important centre in the Bearded Vulture EEP network. Spiral was symbolically sponsored by Céline and Vincent from the paragliding club Les Passe-Montagnes.
Successful release
The release brought together the team from the Vercors Regional Nature Park, the young future farmers of Graines d’éleveurs association, and six devoted keepers who had been caring for Spirale and Troubadour. Before the release, the artificial nest was prepared and chicks were fitted with GPS transmitters.
Next steps
As the chicks settle onto their ledge and begin the crucial final weeks of acclimatisation, the monitoring team will follow them closely from a distance. Over the next few weeks, Spirale and Troubadour will get used to their new home, stretch their wings, and slowly build the strength and confidence to take their first flight — usually around 3–4 weeks after their release in the wild.
You can watch their development through the live camera here!
Breeding Bearded Vultures for conservation
The Vulture Conservation Foundation collaborates with 40+ European institutions to manage the Bearded Vulture captive breeding network, part of EAZA’s European Endangered Species Programme (Bearded Vulture EEP).
For decades, we have been releasing captive-bred Bearded Vultures across Europe to restore local populations in areas where the species became extinct or are under threat. VCF oversees global captive Bearded Vulture efforts, ensuring coordination and adherence to EEP guidelines. As coordinators of the Bearded Vulture Captive Breeding Network, we optimize breeding outcomes and maintain conservation efforts across Europe. The release of Spirale and Troubadour, was conducted as part of the GypAct project.
LIFE Gyp’Act is a 13M€ project, co-funded by the EU’s LIFE programme, that will run until 30 November 2028. Project partners are LPO – Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux as coordinator beneficiary, and the Vulture Conservation Foundation, Association Vautours en Baronnies, LPO Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, LPO Occitanie, Sorbonne Université, ENEDIS, Centre National d’Informations Toxicologiques Vétérinaires, Parc National des Cévennes y Parc Naturel Régional du Vercors as associated beneficiaries.
