Bearded

SAVE THE DATE!
IODs – International Observation Days Every year, on the second Saturday in October, the International Bearded Vulture Observation Days take place across the entire Alpine region.

Attention hikers and nature enthusiasts! Are you fascinated by the king of the skies, the Bearded Vulture? Would you like to spend a day searching for these impressive birds while also contributing to their conservation?

Then join the International Bearded Vulture Observation Day on 11 October 2025. Hundreds of volunteers and experts will be scanning the skies for Europe’s rarest vulture. We would be delighted if as many vulture enthusiasts as possible joined us to help estimate the population of this species in Europe.

The IODs are organised annually by the International Bearded Vulture Monitoring (IBM), coordinated by the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), in collaboration with the Swiss Ornithological Institute.

Bearded Vulture Observer or Casual Reporter?

Bearded Vulture Observers are people who are willing to stay at a fixed location and spend several hours actively scanning the skies for Bearded Vultures. If you feel confident in recognising Bearded Vultures and are willing to watch from a designated observation site on 11 October from at least 10:00 to 14:00, please register your interest by 7 October via e-mail to bartgeier@tirol.gv.at. Kindly include your contact details (telephone number, address) as well as your preferred observation region. The coordination office for North Tyrol will then contact you with further information
Casual Reporters are people who, during a freely chosen mountain tour (above the tree line), keep an eye out for birds of prey and, with the help of binoculars and a camera, check whether these are Bearded Vultures. Successful observations should be reported at: https://www.naturpark-oetztal.at/wissen/der-bartgeier/sichtungsformular/

Contact person (regional coordinator) for Bearded Vulture management in North Tyrol:
Elisabeth Weninger, MSc.
T +43 676 8850882250
E-mail: bartgeier@tirol.gv.at or weninger@naturpark-oetztal.at