Bearded vulture Vinzenz returns healthy to Bavaria after an adventurous journey!

Bearded vulture Vinzenz returns healthy to Bavaria after an adventurous journey!

Bearded vulture Vinzenz has returned safely to Bavaria after an adventurous trip to the North Sea. The impressive bird of prey, which was released into the wild in the Berchtesgaden National Park in 2024, traveled more than 1,600 kilometers. As Antenne reports, Vinzenz was captured two weeks ago in Lower Saxony after he embarked on unusually long flights that took him to the Netherlands.

As part of a resettlement project, Vinzenz was characterized by his idiosyncratic behavior. Instead of staying in the Bavarian Alps, he moved first to the Upper Palatinate and then via western Germany to the flat regions of the Netherlands. There it finally ended up on a country road near Oldenburg, where it was caught by two experienced bird of prey specialists.

The return to home

When he returned to Bavaria, Vinzenz had suffered a weight loss of around ten percent, but was unharmed. After a thorough veterinary examination, the bearded vulture was cared for in a specialized rescue center before its return to the Bavarian Alps is planned. Project managers at the LBV and the Berchtesgaden National Park are relieved about the outcome of his trip and the fact that no serious injuries were found.

The search for new habitats is not uncommon for young bearded vultures, but it is fraught with risks. Wind turbines located on the coasts of the North Sea pose a significant danger to the animals. There have already been incidents in the Netherlands in which bearded vultures were endangered by trains or ammunition containing lead.

Reintroduction project

Bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus) were once among the most popular birds of prey in the Alps, but were wiped out at the beginning of the 20th century. The reintroduction breeding project was initiated in 1986 and since 2021 a total of ten bearded vultures have been released into the wild in Berchtesgaden National Park. Vincent is one of these, and his journey highlights the challenges faced by these impressive birds.

There are documented cases of similar long flights to other Alpine regions, with records also available from Poland, Great Britain and the Netherlands. Vinzenz's tour was closely followed by ornithologists and bird watchers, and there were even reports about his stay in the Dutch news.

The aim is to return Vinzenz to the Alps as soon as he has reached his normal weight. Bearded vultures are extraordinary birds that have a wingspan of up to 2.90 meters and are among the largest flying birds in the world. Further information about the reintroduction project is available on the LBV website.

However, the story is not yet over for the bearded vulture Vinzenz. His adventure once again highlighted how important continued measures are to protect and reintroduce these majestic animals. Antenna reported that the veterinarians are currently carrying out blood tests for lead in order to check the potential dangers of lead-containing hunting ammunition before Vinzenz finally returns to his hometown. Press portal added that those responsible make the behavior of young bearded vultures a habit in order to further optimize their protection and survival strategies.