Unusual winter visitor: A griffon vulture has been sighted near Bad Reichenhall (Berchtesgadener Land). This was announced by the State Association for Bird and Nature Conservation (LBV) on Friday. It is the second time that an unmarked griffon vulture has been reported in Bavaria this winter. In December, a vulture flew through the Lindau district.
Two griffon vultures from the Salzburg Zoo also fly through the Berchtesgadener Land from time to time, according to the LBV statement. Unmarked birds are unusual at this time of year. That’s probably due to the weather. “In a snowy and cold winter, it would be very difficult for a griffon vulture in the Bavarian latitudes, since the harmless scavenger has so far mainly lived in warmer areas south of the Alps,” said LBV vulture expert Toni Wegscheider.
The vultures sighted in Bavaria this winter may have come from Italy or Croatia. The LBV calls for reporting sightings of griffon vultures. “The vultures are very big, bigger than anything else that flies around here,” said Wegscheider when asked. “The bird also has short tail feathers and a distinctive light-dark contrast on the feathers.”