The female bearded vultures Dagmar and Recka, released in June in the Berchtesgaden National Park, have so far got through their first winter without any problems. Recka is domestic and always returns to the surroundings of the national park after short trips, says Toni Wegscheider from the bird and nature conservation association LBV.
Dagmar is more mobile, she has already flown to South Tyrol, she was partly in the central Alps, in the Brenner region and in the Zugspitz area.
The conservationists know that Recka and Dagmar are doing well, not least through videos from observers. Because the solar-powered GPS transmitter has been turned down a lot for all birds in view of the cloudy winter weather. Recka’s transmitter has been completely down since New Year’s Eve. However, a video shows: “Your ability to fly is impeccable, you look healthy and vital and could also be observed, for example, when grooming,” says Wegscheider. In addition, Recka was located several times in the Salzach Valley using a handheld receiver.
With a wingspan of up to 2.90 meters, bearded vultures are the largest breeding birds in the Alps, but they are harmless to humans and animals: They only eat carrion – and from this almost only the bones.
