{"id":19708,"date":"2021-09-21T20:27:57","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T17:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/?p=19708"},"modified":"2025-05-05T15:46:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T12:46:59","slug":"the-only-bearded-vulture-in-alava-spain-dies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/es\/blog\/the-only-bearded-vulture-in-alava-spain-dies\/","title":{"rendered":"The only Bearded Vulture in \u00c1lava (Spain) dies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The moment when the Bearded Vulture Flumen was rescued \u00a9 Hontza Natura Elkartea
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In early September, the only Bearded Vulture in \u00c1lava, Spain, needed rescuing after it suffered a collision with a powerline that immobilised the bird for 30 hours. A rescue mission managed to retrieve the injured Bearded Vulture named “Flumen” and transfer him to a recovery centre, but he did not make it in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story and movements of Flumen<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Back in November 2020, a team from the Government of Aragon (Gobierno de Arag\u00f3n<\/a>) caught the 6-year-old male vulture <\/strong>near Jaca and fitted him with a GPS transmitter and wing tangs before releasing him back to the wild. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When data from the GPS transmitter showed that Flumen arrived in \u00c1lava in the following months, the Government of Aragon alerted the Environment Department of the Provincial Council to look after him. The vulture first visited \u00c1lava, specifically Sierra de Arangio, in April 2021, has been moving between Navarre and \u00c1lava ever since. His latest summer movements suggested he settled in the Alavese Mountains, specifically between the Entzia and Iturrieta mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rescue and rehabilitation mission to save Flumen<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

But, in early September, something was wrong. The GPS data indicated that Flumen remained in the same location in a forest near Narbaiza without moving for hours. Environmental rangers and members of the Hontza Natura Elkartea association checked the area and eventually located the injured bird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Bearded Vulture was alive, he was in a critical position. They found him hanging from a tree upside down. Everything indicated that Flumen suffered a collision with an unmarked powerline, fell and got trapped in a tree for approximately 30 hours. He also sustained a wound on one of his wings. It was a difficult rescue mission, taking the field team about 6 hours until they recovered the vulture. They then transferred him to the Protected Species Recovery Centre in Martioda<\/a> to receive the necessary treatment in the hope of a successful recovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n