Bernese Oberland: Young Bearded Vulture Takes Its First Flight

For the first time in around 100 years, a pair of bearded vultures in the canton of Bern has successfully raised a young bird. The young bearded vulture fledged from its eyrie just a few days ago in the western Bernese Oberland. In recent years, bearded vultures have repeatedly been present in the Bernese Oberland, but a successful breeding had not previously been observed.

This spring it worked out: a pair of bearded vultures built an eyrie in the western Bernese Oberland and successfully bred in it. The Bearded Vulture Foundation (Stiftung Pro Bartgeier) and the wildlife wardens of the Canton of Bern estimate that the chick hatched in mid-March 2020. After around four months, the young bird successfully completed its first flight and left the eyrie. The bearded vulture — often referred to as the King of the Alps — finds favourable living conditions in the Bernese Oberland. Accordingly, bearded vultures have been spotted there regularly again for several years, though a successful breeding had not previously been recorded. “The bearded vulture is an enrichment for the wildlife fauna in the canton of Bern. Unfortunately, bearded vultures had long disappeared from the Bernese Alps. All the more pleasing, therefore, that bearded vultures are once again becoming established in our canton,” says hunting inspector Niklaus Blatter. The hunting inspectorate is not disclosing the location of the eyrie in order to protect the sensitive bearded vultures from potential disturbances.

Bearded vultures remain rare

Bearded vultures were native to the Bernese Oberland until the end of the 19th century. An ornithological map from 1889 identifies the regions around Gsteig and Meiringen as the last refuges of the bearded vulture in the Bernese Alps. During this period, the animals were systematically exterminated. For 35 years, bearded vultures have been reintroduced to the Alpine region. However, they remain rare. The total population across the Alps is estimated at around 300 individuals. In Switzerland, the population is growing steadily. Breeding pairs now inhabit 13 territories in the canton of Graubünden and eight territories in the canton of Valais.

The return of predators is a gain for biodiversity

The successful reintroduction of the bearded vulture shows that the return of extinct species is possible when their habitat remains intact. Other predators such as the wolf and lynx are also returning to the Swiss Alps and contributing to biodiversity. That coexistence between humans and wildlife is possible has been demonstrated by the Geneva model since 1974.