HABITAT USE BY A REINTRODUCED POPULATION OF BEARDED VULTURES (GYPAETUS BARBATUS) IN THE ITALIAN ALPS

Following the reintroduction of the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in the western Alps in 1987, the species reappeared in the Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy, where it had not been recorded since 1930. We analysed 1157 sighting records collected inside the park borders from 1989 to 2007. The number of sightings per year was not correlated with the number of captive-bred individuals released during the same year in the western Alps but was positively correlated with the number released one year prior and two years prior. Bearded Vultures were recorded mainly at higher altitudes during warmer months, and at lower altitudes when the terrain was mostly covered by snow, as were the two most abundant ungulates of the park, the alpine ibex (Capra ibex) and the alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), whose carcasses were primary food sources for vultures. Three habitats were used with a frequency significantly higher than expected based on availability: vegetated cliffs and screes, forest-scrub mosaic, and agriculture. Bare rocks and deciduous forests were used less frequently than expected, and other habitats were used in the same proportion as expected, including alpine grassland, coniferous forests, and alpine heaths and scrubs.