The bearded vulture, Europe’s largest raptor, has made a successful comeback in the French Alps, nearly a century after its near extinction in the early 1900s.
With a 3-metre wingspan, they are powerful hunters, often blamed for taking young sheep and even, by legend, elderly ladies. Their habit of dropping bones from their prey got them the nickname ‘bone-eaters.’
First reintroduced in 1987, with a single pair brought from Afghanistan, they have now established a population of almost 40. Among them are 13 breeding pairs. In March, bird-watchers in the Netherlands reported multiple sightings of bearded vultures; authorities believe it may have been one of the French flock.
Photo: Francesco Veronesi/Flickr
