Two new Andalusian bearded vulture chicks arrive at Picos de Europa to reinforce the population of the species
On June 2, 2025, two three-month-old lammergeier chicks from Andalusia were transferred to the Picos de Europa National Park as part of the LIFE project ‘Iberian Corridors Pro Bearded Vulture’. This initiative, coordinated by the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture (FCQ), seeks to promote the genetic diversity of the species in the Iberian Peninsula.
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The specimens will spend approximately one month in an adaptive hacking platform to acclimate to their new environment without human contact before being released into the wild. This year, six bearded vultures are expected to be reintroduced in Picos de Europa, where more than 40 specimens already live after the local extinction of the species in 1956.
The initiative, the result of collaboration between the Junta de Andalucía, the Government of Aragón, the FCQ and the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), aims to promote the genetic diversity of the species in the Iberian Peninsula. In total, six bearded vultures will be reintroduced this year in Picos de Europa, where more than 40 specimens already live after the local extinction of the species in 1956.
The director of the FCQ reintroduction project, Gerardo Báguena, pointed out that the population of free-ranging bearded vultures in the park is now close to 50 individuals, which will allow the consolidation of an autonomous and viable population of the species in the national park.
The specimens were checked by veterinary specialist Juan Manuel Blanco before being installed on the acclimatization platform. The final release is scheduled for one month from now, once development is complete.
The event was attended by the General Director of Agrarian Planning of Asturias, Marcos da Rocha, who underlined the importance of this program for the recovery of an emblematic and endangered species.
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