National Action Plan

The Bearded Vulture comprises two well identified subspecies, which are also distributed in well differentiated regions. The subspecies covered by this plan, Gypaetus barbatus, is found in the mountainous regions of central and southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia Minor to China. In Western Europe, its range has become fragmented and in 2009, the subspecies is only present in the Pyrenees (130 pairs), Corsica (9 pairs), Crete (5 pairs) and, thanks to reintroduction programmes, in the Alps (17 pairs) and Andalusia.

Despite the efforts made over the last 10 years in Western Europe, the species is considered "Threatened with extinction" according to IUCN criteria. A look at each mountain range qualifies this status for the populations present in France. In the Pyrenees, it is classified as "Vulnerable", whereas in the Alps and Corsica, it is classified as "Critically Endangered".