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.
Uri voters clear path for hotel and marina complex in central Switzerland
This content was published on
Voters in canton Uri in central Switzerland have rejected a Green Party initiative aimed at regulating the development of the lakeside site in Isleten.
Valais voters reject plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland have turned down a proposal for the region to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
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.