Bearded Vultures in Northwest Europe Christopher Mcinerny and Andy Stoddart, on Behalf of BOURC and BBRC

Bearded Vultures in northwest Europe Christopher McInerny and Andy Stoddart, on behalf of BOURC and BBRC

Abstract Over the last 25 years more than 70 Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus have been seen across northwest Europe, many far from their mountain breeding ranges in the Alps and the Pyrenees. It is highly likely that all such extralimital Bearded Vultures originate from reintroduced Alpine populations, which are increasing but not yet considered self-sustaining, rather than from natural populations in the Pyrenees or elsewhere. The species has been placed in Category E (and therefore not part of national bird lists) in all northwest European countries where birds have been seen, apart from Norway where one record is in Category D. This article explains the background to these decisions.

World and European range and The Alpine population of Bearded taxonomy Vultures declined substantially during the Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus are nineteenth and twentieth centuries as a result restricted to mountainous regions of the of human persecution, and finally became Palearctic and Africa (del Hoyo et al. 1994; extinct (Mingozzi & Estève 1997; SPB 2018). Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001; BirdLife In the 1980s and 1990s this situation was International 2017). The nominate sub- addressed through coordinated reintroduc- species breeds in southern Europe and north- tion programmes in various Alpine countries west Africa, and from Turkey through the including Austria, France, Italy and Himalayas to northeast China and Mongolia; Switzerland. Birds were first released in 1986 the subspecies meridionalis breeds in the and successful breeding occurred in 1997 western Arabian Peninsula, northeast Africa (Schaub et al. 2009; Schwarzenberger et al. and East Africa, with an isolated population 2013). The numbers involved remain small in South Africa. The species is capable of but over 100 young have now been reared in wandering large distances in search of the the wild and the populations are increasing. carrion and bones on which it feeds, but During 2017 there were 45 breeding terri - rarely strays into lowland habitats (Gil et al. tories, up from 34 in 2015; of these, 20 pairs 2014; Margalida et al. 2016). were in Switzerland, 13 in France, nine in At the western edge of the species’ range, Italy and three in Austria (Vulture small numbers are found in Europe (fig. 1). Conservation Foundation 2018). In total, up In the Pyrenees there are about 100 breeding to 220 Bearded Vultures are currently pairs, and this population is now thought to thought to be present in the Alps (SPB 2018). be stable or slowly increasing following pro- The reintroduced Bearded Vulture popu- tection (Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001; lations are not yet considered self-sustaining, Vulture Conservation Foundation 2018). however. Seddon (1999) defined three Two reintroduction projects in Spain, in criteria to judge whether a reintroduced pop- Andalusia and the Cantabrian Mountains, ulation could be regarded as self-sustaining: have increased numbers, and the total the survival of the released generation; Spanish population was estimated at 117 breeding by both the released generation and pairs in 2012 (BirdLife International 2015). their offspring; and the long-term persistence

26 © British Birds 112 • January 2019 • 26 – 34 Bearded Vultures in northwest Europe © Fluke Art © Fluke Fig. 1. European distribution of Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus, illustrating the breeding range of natural populations in the Pyrenees (orange) and reintroduced populations in Andalusia, the Cantabrian Mountains and the Alps (green). Extralimital records of wandering birds from the Alpine reintroduction programmes are indicated, either as marked individuals (tags or bleached feathers; white) or unmarked individuals (black). Not all locations for wandering individuals are shown and the records are not exhaustive, but are mapped to illustrate the large numbers and wide distribution of extralimital birds that have been seen in northwest Europe. Extralimital records are derived from sources cited in this paper and breeding ranges from BirdLife International (2017). of the reintroduced population. So far, these birds, the fact that Bearded Vultures do not criteria have been only partially fulfilled. breed until about ten years of age (del Hoyo Although the released generation has sur- et al. 1994; Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001) vived, and statistical modelling of the Alpine means that more time will be required before populations suggests that the birds have been second-generation young produced in the secure since 2006 without the need for more wild can be confirmed. releases (Schaub et al. 2009), continued pro- The entire European population was esti- tection and long-term monitoring remain mated recently at 580–790 pairs with necessary to confirm their long-term persis- an overall decreasing trend (BirdLife tence (Schwarzenberger et al. 2013). International 2015). This trend is largely the Furthermore, although many first-generation result of unnatural mortality owing to poi- young have been produced by the released soning (both intentional and unintended),

British Birds 112 • January 2019 • 26 – 34 27 McInerny & Stoddart shooting and collisions (Margalida et al. inating from the Alpine reintroduction pro- 2008), but habitat loss and disturbance are gramme; other individuals, marked either also thought to be contributory factors with tags and/or artificially bleached feathers, (Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001). have also been confirmed as released birds Internationally the species is listed by IUCN (figs. 1 & 2). as Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2017). Germany In Germany, 45 Bearded Vultures have been Extralimital records observed since 1992, including a number of At least 70 extralimital Bearded Vultures have tagged individuals (DAK 2014, 2015, 2017; been seen in mainland northwest Europe in Club300 Germany 2018; Christopher König the past 25 years, many of these far from the pers. comm.; figs. 1 & 3, plate 9). The first, species’ Alpine and Pyrenean mountain named ‘Averell’, was seen in southern Alpine breeding ranges. These sightings in northwest areas in August 1992 and had been released Europe have generated much interest, partic- in France in 1991. It was not until May 1997 ularly given that some wandering Griffon that one was recorded in the north of the Vultures Gyps fulvus have been shown to have country, away from the Alps; this was a a wild origin and have therefore been French bird named ‘Republik 8’, released accepted to Category A of several national during 1996. Other examples of tagged indi- bird lists (for example, see Faveyts et al. viduals from the Swiss and Austrian reintro- 2017). At least ten named Bearded Vultures duction programmes include those named have been recognised and established as orig- ‘Bernd’, ‘Inge’, ‘Kalandraka’ and ‘Kilian’ seen in 2013 and 2014; 12 Bernd was first Britain observed in May– 10 Poland July 2013, when Norway Denmark she was captured 8 Belgium and returned to The Netherlands Switzerland (plates 6 Germany 10 & 11), but

4 returned in Feb - ruary–March 2014 2 (DAK 2014, 2015; SWIS 2018), while 0 Inge returned in 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 April 2015 (DAK Fig. 2. Numbers of extralimital Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus in north - 2017). west Europe, 1990–2017. Records derived from sources cited in this paper. Sightings in Germany have 14 increased since Germany – Alpine 12 2010, the max- imum being ten Germany – non-Alpine 10 records in 2015, in 8 both Alpine and non-Alpine areas 6 (fig. 3); many of 4 these were assigned to birds released in 2 France, Switzerland 0 and Austria. Some 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 of these records Fig. 3. Numbers of extralimital Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus in were based on Germany, 1990–2017 (DAK 2015, 2017; Christopher König pers. comm.). satellite-tracked

28 British Birds 112 • January 2019 • 26 – 34 Bearded Vultures in northwest Europe Jan Weinbecker Jan 9. A 3CY Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus on the Wadden Sea Island of Langeoog, Germany, in May 2015. data of tagged Bearded Vultures that were not Switzerland. A 2CY male named ‘Sardona’, seen in the field. seen on 13th June 2011 at Terneuzen, was Among the individuals that moved across raised in captivity and released on 13th June national borders, an unmarked 3CY bird was 2010 (Ovaa et al. 2012). Another radio- observed in May 2015 in both Germany and tagged 2CY named ‘Schils’, seen on 14th June the Netherlands (Haas & Slaterus 2016; DAK 2015 at Midwoud, Medemblik, was caught 2017) and another unmarked bird moved and returned to Switzerland later that month between Germany, France and the (Haas & Slaterus 2016; www.dutchbirding.nl/ Netherlands from November 2016 to March dbactueel/1022/lammergier_schils_zurck_in_ 2017 (www.birdingnetherlands.com/blog/ die_heimat); it was later seen in southern bearded-vulture-visits-the-netherlands). Germany, on 3rd July 2015 (DAK 2017).

The Netherlands Belgium In the Netherlands, 17 have been reported In Belgium, five have been seen, the first in since the first in 1997 (Haas & Slaterus 2017; 1998, and the other four since 2011; at least www.dutchavifauna.nl/species/lammergier? two of these were confirmed as coming from r=31903&all=1#30010; figs. 1 & 2). These the Alpine reintroduction programme (de include both marked and unmarked birds Smet et al. 2004; Faveyts et al. 2013, 2014, and all are presumed to have come from 2016; Vanhove & Raty 2015; figs. 1 & 2). The reintroduction programmes (van den Berg et most recent was observed on 9th May 2016 at al. 1997; Wiegant et al. 1999a,b; Haas & Ijzervallei, Oostvleteren (Faveyts et al. 2017). Slaterus 2017; Nieuwstraten 2018). Lacking tags or marks, it was judged to have A 2CY female seen at The Hague on 12th– been reared in the wild but by released birds. 19th May 1998 was identified as ‘Gélas’, a captive-bred bird released at Mercantour Denmark National Park, France, in 1997; remarkably, Five immatures have reached Denmark since within a week it had returned to Mercantour the first, an unmarked immature, in May (van den Berg & Bosman 1999). 2003 (figs. 1 & 2); one had bleached feathers Two tagged individuals seen in the and another bleached feathers and rings Netherlands had been released in (Thorup & Nielsen 2000; Amstrup et al.

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2004; Morten Bentzon Hansen pers. comm.). Poland The latter, ‘Franz’, was hatched on 26th In Poland a satellite-tracked 3CY male was February 2002 in Prague Zoo, Czech present from June to September 2016, Republic; released at Gastein, Salzburg, ranging across the south of the country (fig. Austria; and subsequently observed at Bøtø 1). Hatched in 2014 at Ostrava Zoo, Czech on 16th June 2003. Republic, it was released in the Massif Central, France (Komisja Faunistyczna 2017). Norway One individual has reached Norway, an Britain unmarked immature on the island of Utsira, A bird was apparently shot near Woodbridge, Rogaland (fig. 1) on 13th June 2003 Suffolk, in May 1890, and the specimen held (Mjølsnes et al. 2005). This bird was thought at the Ipswich Museum (Suffolk Birds 1989, to be the same as the one seen in Denmark, 38: 125–126). The origin of this individual is and possibly the Netherlands, in May 2003. not known. It has been published as an No Bearded Vultures have been reported in escape (Piotrowski 2003), although it could Sweden or Finland (www.birdlife.se/rk; equally have been imported as a specimen. www.birdlife.fi). In either case the uncertain provenance precluded its acceptance to the British List (BOU 2018c). In May 2016, an unmarked 2CY bird was observed in south Wales and southwest England (fig. 1) (plates 12 & 13). It was seen in many places including Sudbrook, Gwent (12th May); Brent Moor, Devon (16th May); Cookworthy Moor Plant - ation, Devon (20th May); and Breney Common,

Markus Ritz Cornwall (23rd May). From its overlapping dates it was confirmed as dif- ferent from the 2016 Danish bird, but based on plumage similarities it was thought to be the same as the individual seen in Belgium in May 2016.

Origins of northwest European records The origins of marked birds from the reintroduc-

Markus Ritz tion programme in the 10 & 11. The Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus named ‘Bernd’, Alps are clear but the from the Swiss reintroduction programme, seen in Germany during sightings of unmarked 2013 before being captured and returned. Tagged when released in Bearded Vultures are more Switzerland in 2012, she wandered over 4,000 km to north Germany during May and June 2013, before being captured in a quarry in the interesting in that they Königshain Mountains, Saxony (near the Czech border) in July, where refer to wandering imma- these images were taken (DAK 2014). tures. Other bird species

30 British Birds 112 • January 2019 • 26 – 34 Bearded Vultures in northwest Europe Rowena Rowena Castillo Nicholls have shown a similar pattern of increasing numbers of extralimital records in northwest Europe following an expansion of populations in southern Europe as a result of protection and reintroduction programmes; Western Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio is an obvious example (BOU 2018b; McInerny & Stoddart 2018). However, in the case of the Bearded Vulture

there are a number of Rowena Castillo Nicholls possible origins for the 12 & 13. An unmarked 2CY Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus at unmarked birds seen Breney Common, Cornwall, May 2016 (with Common Buzzard Buteo in northwest Europe. buteo in the upper image). This individual was seen elsewhere in southwest England, southern Wales and Belgium. Wild populations evidence (such as ringed/tagged individuals) There is no evidence that wild birds from the would be required to establish such an origin. Pyrenees make excursions to the north or to Since the recent northwest European the Alps. A study of six satellite-tracked non- records appear not to involve birds from breeders of various ages revealed that they natural wild populations, they have not been did not move outside the region (Gil et al. placed in Category A of national bird lists in 2014); other studies of tracked Bearded any country. Vultures have found similar behaviour (Margalida et al. 2016). Furthermore, before Captive collections the Alpine reintroduction programme began, Bearded Vultures are kept in a large number wandering birds were not recorded in north- of collections and zoos across Europe. About west Europe away from the Pyrenees. 80 were registered in 2017, including six The possibility that extralimital birds orig- young hatched in captivity (ZIMS 2018), but inated from the larger eastern Palearctic wild while it is possible that some of the records populations seems highly unlikely, and hard were escaped birds, no Bearded Vultures have

British Birds 112 • January 2019 • 26 – 34 31 McInerny & Stoddart been reported missing from European collec- with recent reports of Black Vulture Aegypius tions (Andrew Owen pers. comm.). monachus in Belgium. Two immatures recorded in May 2015, which derived from a Reintroduction programme populations French reintroduction scheme, were also The most likely explanation is that unmarked placed in Category E (Faveyts et al. 2016, birds seen in northwest Europe derive from 2017; Vandevyvre 2016). the Alpine reintroduction programme. As In future, individuals hatched in the wild described, tagged and marked Bearded in the Alps would be eligible for Category C Vultures released from France, Switzerland of national lists if those reintroduced popula- and Austria have reached Poland, Denmark, tions are judged to be self-sustaining, just as the Netherlands, France and Germany with White-tailed Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla (Amstrup et al. 2004; DAK 2015; Komisja in Britain (BOU 2006). Category C is defined Faunistyczna 2017; Dutch Birding 2018; as ‘Species that, although introduced, now Nieuwstraten 2018), so there is a clear prece- derive from the resulting self-sustaining pop- dent for reintroduced birds to move large ulations’; Bearded Vultures could potentially distances to the north (fig. 1). It is striking be placed in Category C5, defined as ‘from that unmarked birds have been seen in established naturalised populations abroad’ northwest Europe only after the reintroduc- (BOU 2018a). Since the bird seen in Britain tion programme began; and also that larger in 2016 was assumed to be the first-genera- numbers have been recorded since 1997, tion progeny of captive-bred parents, it was when the first young were reared in the wild placed in Category E (BOU 2018c). by released birds that had paired and bred At present the Bearded Vulture could only (fig. 2). enter Category A of northwest European national lists if it could be demonstrated that Discussion a vagrant originated from natural Pyrenean Of the three alternatives set out above, and or eastern populations – which seems without other evidence such as wing-tags or extremely unlikely. Observers will thus have a radio transmitter to identify the origin of to wait until the reintroduced Alpine popula- individuals, it seems highly likely that all tions become demonstrably self-sustaining northwest European records have derived based on existing guidelines, with their long- from the Alpine reintroduction programme. term persistence confirmed and second-gen- All captive-bred Bearded Vultures that eration wild-hatched immatures wandering have wandered to northwest Europe have to northwest Europe. been placed in Category E by national bird committees (DAK 2017; Faveyts et al. 2017; Acknowledgments Haas & Slaterus 2017; Komisja Faunistyczna We thank members of the British Birds Records 2017; Nieuwstraten 2018; Christopher König Committee (BBRC) and the British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) for their pers. comm.). In Britain Category E is consideration of the British 2016 record, which we defined as ‘Species that have been recorded as summarise here. Andrew Harrop made suggestions on introductions, human-assisted transportees an early version of the paper. We thank anonymous or escapees from captivity, and whose reviewers for suggestions to improve the text. Particular thanks to Morten Bentzon Hansen (Danish breeding populations (if any) are thought Rarities Committee) and Christopher König (Deutsche not to be self-sustaining’ (BOU 2018a). Avifaunistische Kommission) for information and Similarly, individuals hatched in the wild to discussions about mainland European records of captive-bred parents have also all been placed Bearded Vultures in their respective countries. in Category E by the same national commit- References tees (Amstrup et al. 2004; de Smet et al. 2004; Amstrup, O., Frich, A. S., Pedersen, K., & Thorup, K. DAK 2017; Faveyts et al. 2017; Haas & 2004. Sjældne fugle i Danmark og Grønland i 2003. Slaterus 2017; Nieuwstraten 2018; Morten [Rare birds in Denmark and Greenland in 2003.] Bentzon Hansen and Christopher König Dansk Ornitologisk Forenings Tidsskrift 98: 174–188. pers. comm.), apart from one bird in Norway www.dof.dk/images/om_dof/publikationer/doft/ dokumenter/doft_2004_4_3.pdf that was placed in Category D (Mjølsnes et van den Berg, A. B., & Bosman, C. A. W. 1999. al. 2005). A similar approach has been taken Zeldzame vogels van Nederland/Rare Birds of the

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Christopher J. McInerny, BOURC Secretary, School of Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ; e-mail [email protected] Andy Stoddart, BBRC Vice-Chairman, 7 Elsden Close, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6JW; e-mail [email protected]

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