Media

See images of our birds and links to videos from the programme.

This documentary on the Bearded Vulture in Corsica was produced as part of the LIFE GYPRESCUE programme by Martin Boone. It presents, with great sensitivity, the Bearded Vulture and also the activities of the agents who work to protect it. All the footage was taken ethically, with the greatest respect for the animals filmed, at the cost of many hours of observation.

The Bearded Vulture is a scavenging bird of prey. Its population in Corsica is threatened with extinction. There are only a few pairs left and their reproduction is too low to guarantee the renewal of the population. Bearded vultures nest in rock cavities. Observing the nests from a distance in the field does not allow us to properly see what is going on inside the nests, let alone monitor them on a daily basis. In recent years, breeding failures have been reported for unknown reasons. This is the raison d'être of the "WEBCAM GYPAETE" project, a scientific project whose aim is to ensure that reproduction goes smoothly and to identify the causes of reproductive failure in pairs of Bearded Vultures in Corsica, by observing what happens in the nests on a daily basis. The results will make it possible to define and implement the most appropriate actions to remedy the situation. We are delighted to offer you the opportunity to discover this remarkable species from a rare angle, that of the intimacy of Bearded Vulture pairs on their nests. There's no doubt that you'll be delighted by these unique, high-quality images! Please note! The Bearded Vulture is a protected species, and filming and sound recording near its nests are regulated in France. The installation of cameras in the nests is therefore subject to ministerial authorisation. WEBCAM GYPAETE is being implemented as part of the European LIFE20 NAT/FR/001553 programme "Saving the Bearded Vulture in Corsica" (LIFE GYPRESCUE). This is a partnership programme coordinated by the Syndicat mixte du Parc naturel régional de Corse (SMPNRC), with the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), Electricité de France (EDF), the Fédération départementale des Chasseurs de Corse-du-Sud (FDC2A) and the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO). Co-financiers are the European Commission and the Office de l'Environnement de la Corse (OEC). The municipality of Castiglione has provided premises and an internet connection free of charge. The technical service provider for the video system and maintenance is MIRA NATURA. Rights reserved: Any use or reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited.

The Bearded Vulture is a strictly carrion-eating bird of prey. The corpses of medium-sized ungulates are its preferred food. The bearded vulture is the cleaner of the mountains! Its diet consists of around 80 % of bones. It is capable of ingesting whole fine bones up to 30 cm long! When the bones are too big, it breaks them up by dropping them on scree slabs and rocky slabs. This behaviour has earned it the nickname of "bone breaker". The lack of food resources, particularly wild ungulates, is one of the limiting factors for this bird of prey in Corsica. The Corsican Mouflon is also a protected and threatened species on the island. In order to preserve this heritage mammal, the Corsican Regional Nature Park runs a breeding centre and has begun to create a new core population by releasing mouflons in the south of the island in 2020. As saving the lammergeier is partly linked to the future of the mouflon on the island, 14 mouflons were released in October 2022 as part of the European LIFE GYPRESCUE programme. This action was implemented as part of the European LIFE20 NAT/FR/001553 programme "Saving the Bearded Vulture in Corsica" (LIFE GYPRESCUE). This is a partnership programme coordinated by the Syndicat mixte du Parc naturel régional de Corse (SMPNRC), with the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), Electricité de France (EDF), the Fédération départementale des Chasseurs de Corse-du-Sud (FDC2A) and the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO). Co-funders are the European Commission and the Office de l'Environnement de la Corse (OEC). All rights reserved: Reproduction or distribution in whole or in part is prohibited.

One of the main causes of Bearded Vulture mortality in Europe is collisions with various overhead cables. In Corsica, as part of the European LIFE GYPRESCUE programme, EDF is committed to reducing the impact of its installations by securing power lines that are dangerous for Bearded Vultures, an endangered species. This can be achieved by placing mobile reflective beacons on the cables (see video    - Placement of bird beacons by drone for...  ). Here, EDF is laying 5.2 km of cables for the Castirla / Francardo high-voltage line. The pylons are cut out and then extracted by helicopter. This action to avoid collisions and electrocutions was implemented as part of the European LIFE20 NAT/FR/001553 programme "Rescue of the Bearded Vulture in Corsica" (LIFE GYPRESCUE). This is a partnership programme coordinated by the Syndicat mixte du Parc naturel régional de Corse (SMPNRC), with the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), Electricité de France (EDF), the Fédération départementale des Chasseurs de Corse-du-Sud (FDC2A) and the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO). Co-funders are the European Commission and the Office de l'Environnement de la Corse (OEC). All rights reserved. Distribution or reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited.

One of the main causes of death for Bearded Vultures in Europe is collisions with overhead cables used for power lines and ski resorts. As part of the European LIFE GYPRESCUE programme, EDF is committed to securing power lines that are dangerous for Bearded Vultures in Corsica. A medium-voltage power line was secured in June 2022 by attaching Firefly-type mobile reflective beacons. These beacons were placed on the cable using a drone, a technique used for the first time in Corsica. The project was carried out as part of the European LIFE20 NAT/FR/001553 programme "Rescue of the Bearded Vulture in Corsica" (LIFE GYPRESCUE). This is a partnership programme coordinated by the Syndicat mixte du Parc naturel régional de Corse (SMPNRC), with the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), Electricité de France (EDF), the Fédération départementale des Chasseurs de Corse-du-Sud (FDC2A) and the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO). Co-funders are the European Commission and the Office de l'Environnement de la Corse (OEC). All rights reserved. Distribution or reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited.

Find out more about this very special bird of prey, the Bearded Vulture, with Jean-François Seguin, ornithologist from the Corsican Regional Nature Park and coordinator of the LIFE GYPRESCUE programme (Rescue of the Bearded Vulture in Corsica). Oghje" programme - France 3 Corse ViaStella - 10 June 2024

Focus on the programme to save the Bearded Vulture in Corsica: current situation, threats, conservation measures... with Jean-François Seguin, programme coordinator, guest of Stéphane Usciati. Oghje" programme - France 3 Corse ViaStella - 6 November 2024