The Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) have announced a very successful release season for bearded vultures in Andalucia this year with 8 individuals hacked back to the wild. Two of the birds were released in the Sierra de Castril Natural Park in Granada and the remaining six in the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park.

One of the released birds was a rescue from a wild nest in the Catalan Pyrenees after one parent died and the remaining parent abandoned the nest.

The European cooperation for this re introduction project is impressive as this time the released birds originated from different facilities. One from Liberec Zoo (Czech Republic), one from Berlin Zoo, two from Tallinn Zoo (Estonia) and three from the Bearded Vulture Captive Breeding Centre of Guadalentín (Spain).

Ahead of the releases all the birds were fitted with identification rings and fitted with GPS transmitters

The released birds were named Brinzal, Fapas, Grefa, Quercus, Depana, Adenex, Panda and SEO after various Spanish conservation organisations that have contributed over the years to making Andalusia’s fauna one of the richest in Europe.

Read more about bearded vultures in Spain here: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/bearded-vulture-gypaetus-barbatus-quebrantahuesos/

See the VCF origial article on their website here: https://4vultures.org/blog/bearded-vulture-releases-andalusia-2021

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