“Wally” and “Bavaria” are now developing their typical wanderlust – the first of the two bearded vulture women released in June has already left the Berchtesgaden National Park and heads east: Bavaria is exploring the Austrian Alps. Wally will probably follow soon, reports the state association for bird protection in Bavaria. Anyone can follow the flight paths of the two birds equipped with transmitters on-line follow up. The friends of the imposing birds of prey hope that Wally and Bavaria will return one day and that male partners will also turn up so that the bearded vultures can re-establish themselves in the region around the Königssee.
With a wingspan of up to 2.90 meters, the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) among the largest airborne birds in the world. These majestic birds of prey were once widespread in the Alps, but then they fell victim to character assassination: the scavengers were said to prey on cattle, game and even small children. The associated persecution led to the extinction of the bearded vulture in the entire Alpine region at the beginning of the 20th century. But that should not be the last chapter: Since 1986 animal rights activists have been trying to enable the bearded vultures to make a comeback in the Alpine region by reintroducing their offspring. The success is now reflected in around 300 wild birds.
Alpine tour with a chance of returning
In the western and central Alps, the bearded vultures have been reproducing independently again since 1997. But so far the animals have not been able to establish themselves so successfully in the Eastern Alps. A project of the State Association for Bird Protection in Bavaria (LBV) is now to support the comeback there by reintroducing young bearded vultures in the Bavarian part of the Alps. For this purpose, young bearded vultures will be released in the Klausbachtal in the Berchtesgaden National Park in the coming years. Wally and Bavaria made the start in June 2021. As the LBV reports, a natural development has now taken place that the team has already been waiting for . October followed her natural urge to hike and has already started a hundreds of kilometers long flight into the Eastern Alps, ”says project manager Toni Wegscheider.
The fact that both vultures remained true to their place for so long was rather unusual after the experience of the Europe-wide project. “Despite many day trips to the surrounding mountain ranges, the two vulture girls returned to the feeding and sleeping places near the niche in the Klausbachtal almost every evening,” says National Park project manager Ulrich Brendel. Wegscheider adds: “In the last few weeks we had to answer joking questions more and more often whether we would feed Wally and Bavaria too well”.
But now at least Bavaria has set out and after three days reached the Rax mountain range in eastern Austria, about 230 kilometers away. “A short time later, Wally apparently made an attempt to follow her, but already a few kilometers outside of her familiar terrain she apparently lost her courage and she turned back into the national park at home,” reports Wegscheider. But according to the experts, it can be assumed that she will also fly away soon. Because young bearded vultures have an innate migratory instinct and in their first years of life explore thousands of square kilometers of mountains in search of food, their own territory or a partner to reproduce.
Follow vulture journeys online
Nevertheless, there are good chances of returning to Berchtesgaden: “Since about two thirds of all bearded vultures return to the region of origin after a few years of migration in order to settle there, we definitely hope that at least one of our vulture ladies will in the future can be seen again around the Königssee ”, explains Brendel. In addition, thanks to the annual release of bearded vultures in the Berchtesgaden National Park, which are planned until around 2030, they could gradually find potential male partners for the establishment of territories in the region.
If you want to stay on the track of the two birds equipped with GPS transmitters, you can accompany them online: their flight routes are shown on a map on the LBV website www.lbv.de/bartgeier-auf-reisen shown. However, the data will be posted there with a three-day delay. This is to prevent the birds from being disturbed by onlookers at their sleeping places, explains the LBV. Reports of spontaneous sightings of the birds are welcome, however: hikers are encouraged to report their sightings of bearded vultures, if possible with a photo, online at www.lbv.de/bartgeier-melden.
Source: State Association for Bird Protection in Bavaria
More information about the project at www.lbv.de/bartgeier-auswilderung