Hikers in southern France have two full months to admire three Egyptian vulture couples before they fly back to North Africa.
The vultures have settled and built up their nests around the valleys of Conflent, Agly and Vallespir in Pyrénées-Orientales as part of their migration pattern, and are being monitored by the Fédération des réserves naturelles catalanes.
“My job is to closely monitor the three valleys and work out how to best protect them upon arrival,” said Olivier Guardiole, who is in charge of large raptors at the federation.
It is the first time that the three valleys have one vulture couple each, said Mr Guardiole. All Egyptian vultures had left in 2000 before one couple came back to Conflent in 2005 and another to Vallespir in 2011.
The federation has introduced two protective zones around the vultures so that their reproduction cycle is not disturbed. The first forbids any human activity around 600 metres of their nests from March 1 to September 30. The second forbids any sound pollution in the vicinity.
Hiking is the only permitted activity that will allow people to see the birds up close, said Mr Guardiole.
The date of the Egyptian vultures’ departure for warmer climates in Africa will depend on their ability to reproduce. Couples with no baby leave around the end of August, couples with one bird around September 10, and couples with two birds will see one of the two offspring leave around August 20 to 25, before parents leave with the second around September 15-17.
They are expected to come back next March.
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The Egyptian vulture has been a protected species since 1976 and their population in France was estimated by Mr Guardiole at around 100, with 77 couples in the Pyrénees region and 19 in southern France.
“Large vultures, such as the griffon, are often bigger but less beautiful.
“They are also more beautiful than common buzzards, which are about the same size,” he said.
