Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in the Catalan pre-Pyrenees скачать в хорошем качестве

Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in the Catalan pre-Pyrenees

Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in the Catalan pre-Pyrenees, northern Spain, October 2024. This is Europe’s rarest vulture species and is listed under Annex I of the EU Birds Directive. It was intensively persecuted in the past due to the mistaken belief that it preyed on lambs. Indeed, it is also known as the ‘Lammergeier,’ meaning ‘lamb-vulture.’ Alongside changes in farming practices, this persecution led to its extinction in many parts of its European range. Bearded Vultures do not hunt live prey. They are the only vulture species specialised in feeding on the bones of dead animals. These unique scavengers play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Thanks to intensive conservation efforts, their numbers are now increasing. Reintroduction and recovery programmes are ongoing across several regions to help restore the species' former range. However, although Spain holds the largest population of Bearded Vultures in Europe, the species remains classified as Near Threatened.