European Rewilding Network

Vultures comeback in the Baronnies

Vautours en Baronnies

Today, for the first time in over a century, all four European vulture species can be seen soaring effortlessly through the skies above the Baronnies Regional Natural Park.
Vautours en Baronnies
A grant from Rewilding Europe’s European Wildlife Comeback Fund helped Vautours en Baronnies to release bearded vultures in May.
Emmanuel Rondeau
Thousands of people now visit the Dauphiné Alps every year to see vultures, injecting significant sums of money into local economies.
Emmanuel Rondeau
Many of the vultures released by Vautours en Baronnies are tagged, enabling their movement and behaviour to be monitored.
Emmanuel Rondeau
Releasing captive-bred vultures into the wild increases the chances that the birds will select their release site as the place to breed.
C. Tessier

Vultures disappeared from the southern Alps in the 19th century, due to direct persecution and indirect poisoning at a time when access to firearms increased and people were aiming to eradicate wolves and other predators. Times have changed, and people have now realised that vultures play an important ecological role. In this context, Vautours en Baronnies was created in 1993 to work with local people to bring back vultures to the Baronnies.

After over a century of absence, the four European species of vulture are once again present in the skies of the Baronnies, a mountain range in the Dauphiné Alps of France. Thanks to a reintroduction initiated in 1996, the area is now home to the largest colony of griffon vultures in the Alps, with over 300 breeding pairs.

The cinereous vulture was also reintroduced, starting in 2004. Finally, bearded vulture are back following reintroductions started in 2010 in the Vercors and 2016 in the Baronnies, Attracted by the presence of the other species, the Egyptian vulture has reappeared spontaneously!

This makes the Baronnies one of the few places in Europe where one can see all four native European vulture species.

Specification Description Achievements Exchange
Project: Vultures comeback in the Baronnies
Region: Baronnies, Dauphiné Alps, France
Type of protection: All vulture species in France are strictly protected.
Habitat types: A mix of forests, shrublands and grasslands typical of Mediterranean mountains.
Type of project: Supporting wildlife comeback
Aim and vision: Reintroduction of vulture species to the Baronnies and coexistence
Vautours en Baronnies was founded in 1992 to support the return of vultures to the Baronnies area of the southwestern Alps. It also provides information and experiences on vultures through the “Maison des Vautours” in Rémuzat and manages a carcass disposal service for livestock breeders in the region.
Uniqueness of the project: Thanks to reintroduction efforts, the Baronnies is one of just a few places in Europe where all four vulture species can be seen soaring through the sky. This success is also indicative of the involvement of local people, with farmers getting cheaper carcass disposal services, and tourism operators offering new experiences to their guests.
Results you aim to accomplish in 10 years from now on: We want a thriving meta-population of vultures across the Alps, and beyond, that deliver benefits to both nature and people. As well as creating new breeding populations of vultures in the Dauphiné Alps, reintroduction efforts also aim to create a stepping-stone between the existing bearded vulture populations in the Pyrenees, and the recovering population in the Alps.
Results so far: Vautours en Baronnies has successfully reintroduced griffon and cinereous vultures, and has made significant contributions to establishing a breeding population of bearded vultures in the Dauphiné Alps.
Inspirational value: Vautours en Baronnies has successfully brought reintroduced three vulture species and acquired valuable experience in the well-established "hacking" method to release captive-bred raptors into the wild. This know-how could be useful to other reintroduction initiatives across Europe. Generating long term support for the vulture’s comeback by working with local communities and embedding vultures into the business models of local farmers and tourism operators is another experience that could be useful for others.
Experience you would like to share: Vulture reintroduction and monitoring methods, community involvement and business relations.
Experience you would like to gain: Methods to combat illegal poisoning through improved detection, investigation and prosecution.
Map
Country
France
Start year
1992
Size (ha)
100000
Area type
Forest-grassland mosaic, Mediterranean vegetation, Mountainous
Natural process
Scavenging
Flagship species
Vulture
Vultures comeback in the Baronnies
Today, for the first time in over a century, all four European vulture species can be seen soaring effortlessly through the skies above the Baronnies Regional Natural Park.
Vautours en Baronnies
A grant from Rewilding Europe’s European Wildlife Comeback Fund helped Vautours en Baronnies to release bearded vultures in May.
Emmanuel Rondeau
Thousands of people now visit the Dauphiné Alps every year to see vultures, injecting significant sums of money into local economies.
Emmanuel Rondeau
Many of the vultures released by Vautours en Baronnies are tagged, enabling their movement and behaviour to be monitored.
Emmanuel Rondeau
Releasing captive-bred vultures into the wild increases the chances that the birds will select their release site as the place to breed.
C. Tessier

Vultures disappeared from the southern Alps in the 19th century, due to direct persecution and indirect poisoning at a time when access to firearms increased and people were aiming to eradicate wolves and other predators. Times have changed, and people have now realised that vultures play an important ecological role. In this context, Vautours en Baronnies was created in 1993 to work with local people to bring back vultures to the Baronnies.

After over a century of absence, the four European species of vulture are once again present in the skies of the Baronnies, a mountain range in the Dauphiné Alps of France. Thanks to a reintroduction initiated in 1996, the area is now home to the largest colony of griffon vultures in the Alps, with over 300 breeding pairs.

The cinereous vulture was also reintroduced, starting in 2004. Finally, bearded vulture are back following reintroductions started in 2010 in the Vercors and 2016 in the Baronnies, Attracted by the presence of the other species, the Egyptian vulture has reappeared spontaneously!

This makes the Baronnies one of the few places in Europe where one can see all four native European vulture species.

Map
Country
France
Start year
1992
Size (ha)
100000
Area type
Forest-grassland mosaic, Mediterranean vegetation, Mountainous
Natural process
Scavenging
Flagship species
Vulture
Specification
Project: Vultures comeback in the Baronnies
Region: Baronnies, Dauphiné Alps, France
Type of protection: All vulture species in France are strictly protected.
Habitat types: A mix of forests, shrublands and grasslands typical of Mediterranean mountains.
Description
Type of project: Supporting wildlife comeback
Aim and vision: Reintroduction of vulture species to the Baronnies and coexistence
Vautours en Baronnies was founded in 1992 to support the return of vultures to the Baronnies area of the southwestern Alps. It also provides information and experiences on vultures through the “Maison des Vautours” in Rémuzat and manages a carcass disposal service for livestock breeders in the region.
Uniqueness of the project: Thanks to reintroduction efforts, the Baronnies is one of just a few places in Europe where all four vulture species can be seen soaring through the sky. This success is also indicative of the involvement of local people, with farmers getting cheaper carcass disposal services, and tourism operators offering new experiences to their guests.
Achievements
Results you aim to accomplish in 10 years from now on: We want a thriving meta-population of vultures across the Alps, and beyond, that deliver benefits to both nature and people. As well as creating new breeding populations of vultures in the Dauphiné Alps, reintroduction efforts also aim to create a stepping-stone between the existing bearded vulture populations in the Pyrenees, and the recovering population in the Alps.
Results so far: Vautours en Baronnies has successfully reintroduced griffon and cinereous vultures, and has made significant contributions to establishing a breeding population of bearded vultures in the Dauphiné Alps.
Exchange
Inspirational value: Vautours en Baronnies has successfully brought reintroduced three vulture species and acquired valuable experience in the well-established "hacking" method to release captive-bred raptors into the wild. This know-how could be useful to other reintroduction initiatives across Europe. Generating long term support for the vulture’s comeback by working with local communities and embedding vultures into the business models of local farmers and tourism operators is another experience that could be useful for others.
Experience you would like to share: Vulture reintroduction and monitoring methods, community involvement and business relations.
Experience you would like to gain: Methods to combat illegal poisoning through improved detection, investigation and prosecution.
Vultures comeback in the Baronnies
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