This project aims to reintroduce the bearded vulture in the Picos de Europa and show the social and economic benefits of its recovery.

The project “Actions to support the LIFE + project ‘Bearded Vulture Network’: Conservation of the bearded vulture as a resource for the maintenance of ecosystem services”, aims to reintroduce this species in the Picos de Europa and show the social and economic benefits of its recovery.

To this end, it is intended to establish a set of good practices aimed at facilitating the recovery of an extinct population of this animal in line with the work carried out by the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture, including the reinforcement of the population through the reintroduction of specimens.

In addition, the idea that the conservation of the species is linked to local development and the maintenance of ecosystem services will be insisted on. Ecotourism will also be used as a means of support and participation in the conservation of biodiversity.

The expected results are to release two to four bearded vulture specimens annually in the Picos de Europa Natural Park, sign five to eight annual institutional agreements linked to the project, attend to 15,000 ecotourists per year and try to guarantee a survival of more than 50% in the first year of life of the released specimens.

To this end, the proposed activities focus on:

• To identify the breeding territories of bearded vultures with problems in the Pyrenees.
• To improve the productivity and survival of adults in the Pyrenees.
• Recover bearded vulture specimens from nests with low or no productivity.
• Apply the assisted parenting protocol (check embryo viability).
• Monitor and follow the released specimens.
• Create an anti-poison patrol: select points to be sampled and do field work to track toxics.