#bearded vultures

[dnp-as-animals]

dnp as bearded vultures/gypaetus barbaetus?

OOOO PRETTYYYY YES!!

Phan as Bearded Vultures!!

Individuals:

Dan and Phil as Bearded Vultures! <3

[wachinyeya]

Oldest-ever wild Bearded Vulture found in French Alps

A Bearded Vulture rescued in the French Alps in October has proved to be the oldest of its species ever recorded in the wild.

12/3/2025

Oldest-ever wild Bearded Vulture found in French Alps

A Bearded Vulture rescued in the French Alps has proved to be the oldest of its species ever recorded in the wild.

The bird was discovered in weak condition near Thyez in France's Haute-Savoie department on 27 October.

Extraordinarily, a ring on the vulture's right leg revealed that it was a male known as 'Balthazar' – a bird born in February 1988 as part of a captive-breeding programme and released into the wild later that year.

Legendary vulture

Balthazar later became the first male to successfully reproduce naturally in the Alps, raising his first chick in 1997. Since then, he has fathered 15 wild-born chicks, whose descendants now exceed 30 individuals.

Genetically monitored until 2016 as part of the 'Bargy Sud trio' (a breeding group consisting of three individuals), Balthazar had vanished from observations. Many assumed he had died. His reappearance in 2025 confirms he likely remained within the trio but no longer contributed to reproduction.

At more than 37 years old, he is now the oldest wild Bearded Vulture ever recorded in both the Alps and the Pyrenees.

Troubling discovery

Balthazar's rescue highlighted a serious concern: the lead pellet in his foot almost certainly originated from an old shooting incident. Even after many years, such embedded lead poses the threat of poisoning and exemplifies the dangers faced by raptors.

In France, birds of prey are strictly protected. Any shooting, destruction or attempted destruction is a criminal offence with severe penalties. Despite 40 years of conservation and awareness efforts, this incident shows that persecution remains a real threat.

Release and recapture

On 5 November, given Balthazar's good overall condition, it was agreed to release him back into the wild. The next day he was returned to the Bargy Massif, equipped with a GPS tag.

However, Balthazar had to be recaptured in late November due to his weak flight and other unusual behaviours. It has now been agreed that this legendary vulture will remain in captivity, where a new reproductive life may await him. In captivity, under optimal conditions, Bearded Vultures can live beyond 50 years.

Balthazar's journey reflects the scale and success of the reintroduction programme launched in 1986. Since then, 264 young Bearded Vultures have been released across the Alps thanks to an international conservation effort.

Vulture Conservation Foundation, which is heavily involved with the scheme, wrote: "Balthazar is not only a historic witness but a living symbol of the resilience of a species Europe chose to save."

[proship-froggo]

Whilst I'm obviously really fond of frogs, I'm also taking a liking to certain birds, and a new feathery obsession just dropped! I thought Shoebill Stroks had me in an iron-tight clasp, but have y'all heard about Bearded Vultures????

Look at that divaaaaa 😍✨

Eyeliner? On fleek.

Feathers? Freshly dyed.

Beak? Ready to break bones.

[steam-junk]

hii I failposted this already and tumblr uploaded my images out of order. apologies for the outrageous formatting. zines never look right to me on digital ☹️

as promised, a high effort national bird day post: my zine, carrion thief, made in appreciation of scavengers, but especially vultures, and especially bearded vultures. printable vers here 👇

feel free to keep or give but never sell !!

[rainbowprisimatic]

With my concept character Mercy Raeythgil (they/he) for neon odyssey being a Skettik, and with that race being humanoid vulture people (based on the concept teaser on the kickstarter page, I assume its a bodily set up similar to Tokoyami from bnha - where they have human bodies and bird heads [but also with the addition of those head tendrils that the alien race in the movie 'Predator' have?] but we wont know for sure till the resources become public) im of course going to pick the COOLEST kind of vulture that exists for Mercy's physical appearance.

Bearded Vulture!!!!

[ankewehner]

Today I learned that bearded vulture nests can be valuable for archaeology, because some of them get really old before being abandoned, and songbirds picking up threads from laundry dried in the garden aren't the only birds picking up human-made stuff as building material.

Multi-generational vulture nests hold 700 years of human artifacts

Crossbow bolts, sandals, slingshots, and more.

[cathartidae]

ALL DONE!! progress pics + ref under cut

big fans of these guys

[gwydionmisha]

Animals and Related News Round Up: Published 11/27/25AM

Most of these items are a bit older as I've been swamped

Some ant architects design a colony to cut the risk of disease. Humans, take note!

One kind of tiny ant can serve as a monumental example for how to keep members of a community safe from pathogens. A new study shows how the

These Ant Queens Seem to Defy Biology: They Lay Eggs That Hatch Into Another Species

Iberian harvester ant queens produce offspring of their own species and of the builder harvester ant, seemingly by cloning males

'Dark DNA' may explain dancing spiders' extraordinary diversity

There are many more species of peacock spider than other animals, scientists think they may know why.

Octopuses prefer to use different arms for different tasks, scientists find

Creatures favour front arms for most tasks, study suggests, despite fact all eight arms are capable of all actions

Baby giant tortoises thrive in Seychelles after first successful artificial incubation

Exclusive: Trial that has produced 13 hatchlings could help other threatened species avoid extinction

Florida’s Hot Spot for the Crocodile’s Comeback Is…a Nuclear Power Plant? 

A banner year for hatchlings, thanks in large part to an unlikely ally

Generations of Bearded Vultures Stashed Humans' Treasures, Including a 650-Year-Old Sandal, in These Bird Nests

Researchers recovered more than 200 human artifacts from historical nests in southern Spain

Snakes Pee Solids. Chemical Analysis Suggests Why.

Scientists know that reptiles “pee” solids, but the structure and chemistry of these wastes remained a mystery—until now.

Bird migration is changing. What does this reveal about our planet? – visualised

Bird migrations rank as one of nature’s greatest spectacles. Thanks to GPS tracking, scientists are uncovering extraordinary insights into a