Observers from Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Spain, and Switzerland joined the 20th edition. They covered 923 observation sites during the monitoring period, with 893 sites checked on the focal day. Volunteers reported 1,321 Bearded Vulture sightings, with 1,225 happening on the focal day.
Turning observation into conservation knowledge
The IOD helps local experts compare sightings, identify known birds, and avoid counting the same bird twice because observations happen at the same time across countries. GPS tracking also helps. During the 2025 IOD, data came from 131 GPS-tagged Bearded Vultures.
In the Alps, where monitoring is strongest, experts estimate the number of Bearded Vultures between 470 and 594, exceeding the modelled prediction of 460. Monitoring also revealed the age-class distribution: 57% adults, 7% subadults, 21% immatures, and 12% juveniles. This information enables conservationists to establish a baseline for survival analyses and demographic modelling, offering valuable insights into the progress of the reintroduction programme. By comparing the field data with the demographic models, it is possible to identify areas in which monitoring and estimation could be improved; for instance, in 2025 subadults appeared to be underrepresented while adults were overrepresented compared to the model predictions. The report notes that this might be due to the difficulty of determining age classes in the field.
Many birds were identified as individuals. In the Alps, observers confidently recognised 113 birds, with seven in the Massif Central and 18 in Andalusia. This level of detail is possible because partners across countries share information on markings, territories, GPS-tagged birds, and known individuals.
The results also show that Bearded Vulture conservation is reaching more areas. About 12 birds were observed in the Massif Central, and between 59 and 62 in monitored parts of Spain. In Bulgaria, the 2025 count was especially important. For the first time since the species disappeared there in 1972, a Bearded Vulture was seen again during the IOD, following reintroduction efforts earlier that year.
Read the full IOD 2025 report at - 20 years of counting Bearded Vultures in Europe - Vulture Conservation Foundation
