Home Ranges and Movements of Non-Breeding Bearded Vultures Tracked by Satellite Telemetry in the Pyrenees

We present data on home range sizes and spatial parameters of six non-breeding bearded vultures Gypaetus barbatus (one adult, four subadults and one juvenile) using Argos satellite telemetry in the Pyrenees (Spain-France) between 1999 and 2006. None of the birds left the Pyrenees during the tracking period and all individuals included supplementary feeding stations (SFS) in their home ranges. Home range areas reported here were smaller than those previously reported in South Africa and slightly larger than those reported in the Pyrenees and the Alps. Overlap between home ranges and SFS shows the importance of predictable sources of food, especially for inexperienced juvenile birds. Satellite telemetry facilitates improved insight into the bearded vulture's spatial ecology and behaviour, which is key for the conservation of this threatened species.