WildlifeNGO
Bringing the Bearded Vulture Back to the Alps
by VIER PFOTEN – Eulen- und Greifvogelstation Haringsee · HQ 🇦🇹 Austria
0birdsBearded vultures released across the Alps since 1986as of 2023-12-31 · may be outdated
0birdsBearded vultures released in Austriaas of 2020-12-31 · may be outdated
0birdsEstimated wild bearded vulture population in Austriaas of 2024-12-31 · may be outdated
0pairsEstablished breeding pairs in Austriaas of 2024-12-31 · may be outdated
The Eulen- und Greifvogelstation Haringsee, a VIER PFOTEN project in Lower Austria, has bred bearded vultures since the 1970s as part of an international reintroduction programme with Hohe Tauern National Park, the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, WWF Austria and the Vulture Conservation Foundation. Hand-reared chicks are released using the 'hacking' method at Alpine sites such as Rauris in Salzburg, where the first Austrian release took place in 1986. By 2023 the Alps-wide programme had released 251 young bearded vultures, including 63 in Austria alone, and by the end of 2024 Austria's wild population had grown to roughly 40 birds forming 12 breeding pairs.