The Sustainability and Environment Minister of the Andalusian Government, Catalina García, has participated in the release of three female bearded vultures (Gypaetus barbatus barbatus) in the National and Natural Park of Sierra Nevada. With this action, the government begins the 2025 reintroduction campaign and reinforces its commitment to the conservation of this emblematic species, which disappeared from the Andalusian skies in the 1980s.
The three released specimens have been named Poqueira, Polarda, and Aznaitín, in reference to significant natural locations in Granada, Almería, and Jaén. They come from specialized centers in Lleida, Berlin, and Austria, and were born between March 9 and 13. After being transported to the release environment, they have been placed in artificial nests built in the release caves. The adaptation of these chicks will be achieved later in the «hacking» – rural rearing of chicks born in captivity, who are fed until they reach 120 days old when they will be able to fly. The chicks should not see their caregiver or they will not develop their own survival instincts. This will allow them to establish their loyalty to the territory by identifying it as their birthplace and increasing the chances that, in the future, they will return to breed in this area.
The minister stated that «with this new release, we strengthen the presence of the bearded vulture in the Sierra Nevada Natural Park and continue a consolidated conservation strategy that has allowed the species to return to the Andalusian skies and look towards the future with hope.» As she explained, this action inaugurates the twentieth annual reintroduction campaign of the bearded vulture in Andalusia, «a sustained and committed effort that demonstrates that long-term effort and institutional cooperation can reverse extinction processes.»
The bearded vulture was one of the most emblematic species of the Betic mountains until the late 19th century. Its extinction in Andalusia was sealed in 1986 with the disappearance of the last specimen in Cazorla. Two decades later, the Andalusian Government initiated a reintroduction project, with the first release of three specimens in 2006.
Since then, 96 bearded vultures have been reintroduced in different protected areas in Andalusia, mainly in the Natural Park of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura, and Las Villas and in the Natural Park of Sierra de Castril. In 2024, for the first time, the release territories were expanded to the National and Natural Park of Sierra Nevada, with the release of three chicks. This territorial expansion strategy aims to increase the species’ colonization capacity and extend its distribution area in the region.
Currently, it is estimated that 15 specimens regularly fly over Sierra Nevada, indicating a significant level of species loyalty to this natural area. «These figures are the result of a firm and continuous institutional commitment to biodiversity,» emphasized Catalina García.
Also present at the release were the Government Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Granada, Antonio Granados; the Director-General of Forest Policy and Biodiversity, Juan Ramón Pérez Valenzuela; the Territorial Delegate, Manuel Francisco García; the Director of the National Park and Natural Park of Sierra Nevada, Francisco de Asís Muñoz; the Head of Geodiversity and Biodiversity Service, Juan Antonio Martín, and the Coordinator of the Bird Conservation Program of Andalusia, José Ramón Benítez, as well as Environmental Agents and personnel from the AMAYA Agency, among other authorities.
A decade of free reproduction
Today’s release has a special symbolism, as in 2025 it marks ten years since the discovery of the first breeding pair formed by reintroduced specimens and the birth of the first chick from this pair in the natural environment. Since then, the Andalusian population has continued to grow. Today, eleven breeding territories are occupied: nine in Cazorla and two in Castril.
Thanks to this expansion process, the species has begun to colonize other mountains in the area, such as Sierra Mágina, Sierra Sur de Jaén, Sierra Arana, Sierra de Huétor Santillán, and even neighboring mountains in Albacete and Murcia. Its presence has also been recorded in Portugal, France, and even a sporadic crossing of the Strait towards North Africa. «Each released chick, each established pair, and each flight over our mountains are signs that Andalusia has managed to reverse a historic loss, building a new relationship with wildlife and natural balance.»
An internationally recognized breeding center
The heart of the reintroduction project in Andalusia is located at the Guadalentín Bearded Vulture Breeding Center in Cazorla, managed by the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF). In the last decade, 90 chicks have been born there, of which 88 have thrived. Most have been released in various parts of Europe, although there are also specimens that remain in captivity to maintain the breeding stock.
The minister highlighted that «Guadalentín has established itself as one of the most important breeding centers in Europe, for its technical capacity and for the reproductive success it has achieved year after year. Thanks to this center, Andalusia leads the conservation of the bearded vulture in Spain, while actively contributing to the European program for threatened species.»
The center is responsible for 25 to 40% of the annual births in the European captive breeding network, and its pairs are prepared to perform double adoptions, allowing them to raise specimens from other centers that cannot care for their own chicks.
Catalina García recalled that the Junta de Andalucía has begun work this year to reintroduce the bearded vulture in a new strategic location: the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. She stated, «The reintroduction of the bearded vulture in the Sierra de Grazalema will be the southernmost in the European Union, and will establish a natural bridge between European populations and those in North Africa, thus promoting genetic connectivity and long-term viability of the species.»
This new release point, the first outside of eastern Andalusia, represents a qualitative leap in the Andalusian plan for the recovery of scavenger birds. This bird, also known as the ‘bearded vulture’ or ‘chivata eagle,’ disappeared from the Cadiz mountains at the beginning of the 20th century.
Institutional Collaboration
The bearded vulture reintroduction program in Andalusia involves specialized entities such as the VCF and the Bearded Vulture Conservation Foundation (FCQ), as well as the collaboration of the administrations of Aragon and Catalonia.
One of the program’s top priorities is to ensure the genetic diversity of the reintroduced specimens. To achieve this, the Junta has signed agreements allowing the exchange of chicks with other autonomous communities, such as Aragon, and with European centers, ensuring greater adaptability of the released population.
This release in Sierra Nevada highlights that international collaboration, with specimens from Austria, Berlin, and Lleida. «This joint work is a guarantee for the future of the bearded vulture and an example of how scientific and political cooperation can yield extraordinary results,» stated Catalina García.
The recovery of the bearded vulture is part of the Andalusian Bird Scavengers Recovery and Conservation Plan, a strategy that, since its approval, has implemented actions to prevent the use of poisons, GPS tracking, field surveillance, and environmental education.
The minister emphasized that «in Andalusia, we work to ensure that the environment where species live is safe, welcoming, and sustainable. We advocate for biodiversity as a value, as a legacy, and as a driving force of identity.»
The Junta continues to expand the network of areas where this species can be established, adapting infrastructure and planning new actions for the coming years. This work is complemented by intense social awareness efforts, especially in the regions where the project is being implemented.