Origin of Bearded Vulture spotted in the Peak District revealed

And now, thanks to receiving two feathers and undertaking a genetic analysis, the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) finally has the answers.

As the Bearded Vulture does not have any ring, tag or markings, the only way to learn more about the background of the bird was through genetic analysis of a blood sample or feathers.

But thanks to two small feathers collected in the Peak District by Yorkshire birder David Ball, Pro Bartgeier determined that "Vigo" comes from the French Alps, and is a female bird that hatched last year (2019) in a wild nest.

Revealing the origin and identity of the bird was possible because of the extensive genetic data gathered as part of the comprehensive monitoring done by local organizations in the Alps

José Tavares, director of the VCF, said: "The VCF and partners have been releasing captive-bred Bearded Vultures in the Alps since 1986, to bring back the species to the region after it was hunted and poisoned to extinction.

"Today there are 60+ breeding pairs, in what is considered one of the greatest wildlife comeback stories of our times."

Tim Birch, director of Nature’s Recovery at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: “It was a once in a lifetime chance to see the magnificent Bearded Vulture that spent the whole summer in the Peak District in England.

"It brought a lot of joy to the tens of thousands of people who saw it and attracted a lot of attention from across the whole of the UK.

"Many people really developed a strong bond to this bird, which has been so uplifting in these difficult times with the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It has given everyone a glimpse of what a wilder future could look like if we help nature’s recovery where more amazing wildlife can be seen by more people particularly in our National Parks.

"Its presence in the Peak District also enabled a spotlight to be shone on the serious ongoing problems with illegal persecution of birds of prey within our National Parks.”

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