This is the start of a long breeding season. In total, ten months gestation necessary in the bearded vulture to give birth to a young, a long period in the middle of winter and which requires all the attention. The bearded vulture, the largest raptor in Europe, is also one of the most endangered species.
Preservation zones are therefore put in place, “areas of major sensitivity“. They do not have a regulatory scope, but they nevertheless make it possible to create a perimeter of protection to supervise activities such as the overflight of helicopters, paragliders or others around nests.
14 couples in the Pays de Savoie
In France, the majority of bearded vultures are found in the Savoyard and Savoyard mountains. 14 out of 19 couples, a rather low total figure which demonstrates the need to protect the species. “We must really limit all the causes of mortality and inconvenience“for Marie Heuret, coordinator of the national action plan for the bearded vulture at the conservatory of natural spaces in Haute-Savoie.
The bearded vulture is indeed a species that reproduces very slowly, not before the age of seven and who only gives a baby about every two years. “Its resilience capacity is very limited, even more so in winter“according to Marie Heuret. Hence the importance of limiting the risks as much as possible during the breeding season.