Swiss vulture: shot by a hunter, killed by a golden eagle
A bearded vulture in western Switzerland in 2017
Keystone
A bearded vulture’s life is obviously not an easy one in Switzerland. One bird found dead in eastern Switzerland was injured by gunshot but probably died after losing a fight with a golden eagle.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-ATS/ts
The bird’s body was discovered in Val Chamuera, canton Graubünden, in May. The results of the autopsy, published on Tuesday by the cantonal office for hunting and fishing, show that the 12-year-old male bird of prey was probably killed by the eagle after a fight over hunting territory.
The vulture’s 12th cervical vertebrae had been broken and his neck muscles and oesophagus showed signs of injury, said specialists at the University of Bern.
The authorities said it was not possible to determine when the bird was hit by three lead shots from a hunting rifle. The shooter has not been identified.
Bird population
Bearded vultures, the largest bird in the Alps with a wingspan of almost three metres, mate for life.
This bird was identified by the cantonal authorities as GT047. They said he was born 12 years ago in Val Tantermozza and was one of the first bearded vultures born in nature in Switzerland after their reintroduction.
In 2012 and 2013 he and a female formed the “Val Foraz” pair, while from 2014 he was part of the “Chamuera” pair. This year he was replaced by another male but remained in the valley.
The bearded vulture was exterminated in the 19th century and is a vulnerable species today. Starting in 1986, they were reintroduced in Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France. Now there are roughly 200 in the Alps, and the population is doing well. In Switzerland, there are about a dozen breeding pairs.
More
More
The bone-picker that was a ghost in Switzerland
This content was published on
The largest bird in the Alps, the bearded vulture was exterminated in the 19th century and is a vulnerable species today.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Vulnerable tenants hit hardest by Zurich evictions
This content was published on
More tenants are evicted in Zurich than anywhere else in Switzerland, which particularly affects older people on low incomes.
This content was published on
Swiss National Bank Q1 profits weighed down by foreign currency investments, which the rise in gold was unable to offset.
Men in Switzerland under pressure to uphold social standing
This content was published on
A study from the University of Bern reveals that men in relatively gender-equal countries face significant pressure to maintain their high social status.
Ivory Coast court bars former Credit Suisse CEO from presidential race
This content was published on
The court removed opposition politician and former CEO of Credit Suisse Tidjane Thiam from the electoral roll, citing the loss of his Ivorian nationality.
Novartis and Sanofi call for higher drug prices in Europe
This content was published on
Swiss and French pharmaceutical companies Novartis and Sanofi argue that the EU should adjust its drug prices to better align with those in the US.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss bearded vultures get new breeding enclosure
This content was published on
Breeding pairs of bearded vultures, a vulnerable species, now have access to a new facility costing almost half-a-million Swiss francs.
This content was published on
The Swiss bearded vulture population is having an excellent year, with eight vultures born in the wild and two captive-bred birds successfully released into the wild.
This content was published on
“It manages to pick out a swarm of mosquitos from a distance of five metres.” Urs Seiffert, manager of the Swiss BirdScan radar project, has no doubt about the radar’s potential. But he is not interested in insects – instead, he’s pinpointing the migrating birds that fly twice a year over Switzerland. “There are tens…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.