130925-studie-wildlife-comeback-in-europe

Figure 2.
Current distribution
of Bearded vulture in
Europe and historic
distribution in the
1850s and 1950s [22] .
Table 3.
Major threats that
drove the Bearded
vulture decline and
may still constrain
the population.
Major threats
This species experienced a massive decline in
Europe in the 19 th and 20 th centuries due to persecution
(mostly shooting), use of poisoned baits,
habitat loss, and reduction in extensive livestock
farming in many mountain ranges [34] .
The main causes of ongoing declines appear
to be non-target poisoning, direct persecution,
habitat degradation, disturbance of breeding
birds, inadequate food availability, changes in
livestock-rearing practices and collisions with
Threat Description Impact
Unintentional
effects of hunting
and collecting
Poisoning and intoxication as a result of
consumption of poison baits against predators,
or lead poisoning from feeding on carcasses with
lead shot.
Critical
Pollution from
agriculture
Agricultural
abandonment
Livestock farming
and ranching
Renewable
energy
Transportation
and service
corridors
Human intrusions
and disturbance
Hunting and
collecting
Poisoning and intoxication as a result of
consumption of livestock carcasses with
antibiotics.
Reduction of carrion availability due to declines
in extensive livestock management in the
mountains.
Less carrion available because of modernisation
of agriculture.
Collision with wind turbines.
Collision with and electrocution by overhead
power lines.
Human outdoor activities near breeding cliffs (e.g.
rock climbing).
Main reason for the extinction in Alps in the past.
High
High
High
High
Medium
Medium
(historically
high)
power-lines and wind farms. Human persecution
and poisoning continue to be the main
factors contributing to unnatural mortality for
European Bearded vultures [34] , as evidenced by
recent studies, which show that shooting (31%),
intentional poisoning (26%), collision (18%) and
unintentional poisoning (12%) were the most
important threats.
Drivers of recovery
The Bearded vulture is still vulnerable in Europe,
as its population size is small and includes some
isolated, fragile, relict island populations (Crete
and Corsica). A number of Bearded vulture
conservation projects are in place, including the
highly successful reintroduction programme
in the European Alps (Austria, France, Italy
and Switzerland), which has been in operation
since the 1980s under the coordination of the
Vulture Conservation Foundation (formerly the
Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded
Vulture) [21] . To date, 197 birds have been released
and 22 breeding pairs are currently established as a
direct result of this project [17] .
Since 2010, new release sites in the western Alps
(Parc Regional du Vercors) and the Grands Causses
(France) have been chosen with the aim to bridge
and connect the Alpine and Pyrenean populations.
A reintroduction project has also been initiated in
Andalucía by the regional government.
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