{"id":5854,"date":"2019-01-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4vultures.org\/blog\/how-did-a-gps-transmitter-from-a-cinereous-vulture-end-up-on-the-beach-in-st-tropez\/"},"modified":"2021-03-17T12:37:47","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T12:37:47","slug":"how-did-a-gps-transmitter-from-a-cinereous-vulture-end-up-on-the-beach-in-st-tropez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/pt\/blog\/how-did-a-gps-transmitter-from-a-cinereous-vulture-end-up-on-the-beach-in-st-tropez\/","title":{"rendered":"How did a GPS transmitter from a Cinereous Vulture end up on the beach in St-Tropez?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The GPS transmitter attached to one of the Cinereous Vultures released at Parcs Naturel Regional Baronnies proven\u00e7ales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Colleagues from a French Cinereous Vulture reintroduction project have been left searching for answers as to how a GPS transmitter attached to a vulture released in the southern Alps washed up on a beach in St-Tropez, but evidence suggests a sinister end to the bird that was wearing it.<\/p>\n

Reintroducing Cinereous Vultures to France<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Bernadus,<\/a>
Bernadus, one of the released Cinereous Vultures released in France<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Cinereous Vulture reintroduction project in France is a success story that has been running since 1992 with the species now firmly re-established after going extinct in the country. After the first releases at the Parc Naturel Regional Grands Causses, Cinereous Vultures have been released at two other sites in the southern Alps, at the Parc Naturel Regional Baronnies Proven\u00e7ales and Gorges du Verdon since 2004. And it is at the Baronnies that this mystery begins.<\/p>\n

\"Fitting<\/a>
Fitting one of the Cinereous Vultures released with a GPS Transmitter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The release of three Cinereous Vultures in November 2018 at the Parc Naturel Regional Baronnies Proven\u00e7ales marked an end of the reintroduction project there with a total of 45 birds released in total. During this final release three birds, one male and two females named Encre, Ecaille and Ebene were released back into the wild after having spent a year in an acclimatisation aviary on the site since being transferred from wildlife rehabilitation centres in Spain. Each bird was fitted with a solar powered GPS transmitter, that weighed between 30g and 70g. These transmitters send the GPS position of the birds over the mobile communications network and can provide several thousands fixes per day.<\/p>\n

Following Ecaille<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

By using the data from the GPS transmitter our colleagues followed one of the females Ecaille as she moved from the release site at the beginning of December, firstly moving north between the Natural Regional Parks of Vercors and Baronnies before heading south toward the coast near Nice.<\/p>\n

Colleagues noticed then some unusual behaviour -it appeared that Ecaille was moving slowly in a southeastern direction and far off to sea.<\/p>\n

What had happened to her? Had she died and was drifting at sea? Was she alive and rescued aboard a ship? It was some very unusual movements and all that could be done was to wait and closely monitor her movement.<\/p>\n

Washed up on a beach<\/strong><\/p>\n