Look after the bearded vulture!

The bearded vulture is an endangered species in our mountains.
We support the Asters-Cen 74 associations and the Vulture Conservation Foundation which fights tooth and nail for it.
Discover its story!

The bearded vulture, a mythical species in our mountains

This bird is one of the 4 species of vultures found in Europe; with a wingspan of up to 3 metres, it often nests above forests on steep cliffs. It’s a species that feeds mainly on bones (up to 30cm), which it swallows as they are, breaking the largest ones by carrying them up high and dropping them onto the rocks. It acts as a cleaner for the mountains.

A vulture can live for 30 years and needs a large area to live and feed on. After being born, it travels on average 5 or 6 years before settling down with a partner with whom it can reproduce each year by giving birth to 1 chick, which will fly away every 2 or 3 years only !

Pursued relentlessly, it had disappeared from the Alps in the 1920s, where it has since been reintroduced from 1986. Nevertheless, it remains an endangered species and the causes of death are manifold (poisoning, hunting, collision with cables, nest disturbance). It’s also a species sensitive to disturbance in the nest during reproduction, which lasts 10 months a year !

€2 donated for bearded vulture programmes

All vultures in Europe, including the Bearded Vulture, are highly vulnerable due to external dangers as well as to isolation of populations and their low reproduction rate.

This year in France, there were 18 breeding pairs of bearded vultures in the Alps and 48 in the Pyrenees. Despite some reproductive failures, at the same time some vulture chick births have been recorded since March.

To help the Bearded Vulture and act for it, Quechua is committed to donating €2 for each water bottle - Bearded Vulture limited edition - purchased to the ASTERS-CEN74 association and the Vulture Conservation Foundation, which run, among other things, programmes for the conservation and reintroduction of the Bearded Vulture in France and Europe.

Associations committed to wildlife and regions

In partnership with local actors, the Haute-Savoie natural spaces conservatory (Asters-CEN 74) leads a general interest mission on the knowledge, expertise and management of natural space, species, environments and landscapes. It manages the 9 nature reserves in Haute-Savoie, amongst others.

The Conservatoire de Haute-Savoie has been involved from the outset in the Bearded Vulture reintroduction and conservation programme in the Alps.
Today, it leads and implements the Action Plan in the French Alps, with the national parks of Vanoise, Ecrins, Mercantour, the regional natural park of Vercors and the Baronnies, associations such as the LPO (La Protection des Oiseaux/Protection of Birds), Envergures Alpes, Vautours en Baronnies, institutions (OFB, the State) in connection with companies (Enedis, RTE, ski areas, etc.) and socio-professionals (sports federations, etc.)

It also manages the only French breeding centre for this vulture. Its objectives is to produce chicks that will be released to conquer new territories.

The Vulture Conservation Foundation is an international NGO dedicated to the protection of 4 species of European vultures. It has recognised expertise in bird reproduction, reintroduction and protection in their natural mountain habitat.

Today, the foundation has extensive experience in breeding in captivity, vulture reintroduction and resettlement, vulture conservation in their natural habitat and the fight against threats. It is involved in many large scale vulture conservation projects across Europe, from the Iberian peninsula to the Alps, in the Balkans and beyond.

The organisation continues to oversee the reintroduction of the bearded vulture across Europe and currently coordinates the bearded vulture breeding in captivity network, in close collaboration with over 40 partners, including zoos, to guarantee the best reproductive results from the 179 birds in captivity.

Find tips from associations on coexisting

How to spot bearded vultures? How to protect it?

Meeting the bearded vulture is always a magical moment. Most of the time, it's just a glimpse, flying a few meters above you. ASTERS-CEN, the conservatory of natural spaces of Haute-Savoie, gives you its advice to spot this species in a spirit of conservation.

What are the differences between a bearded vulture and a griffon vulture?

Did you know? There are nearly 70 species of mammals, 89 species of nesting birds and around 2000 plant species in the French Alps.