Andorra · The Bearded Vulture

The bearded vulture is one of Europe’s largest birds of prey and is closely associated with mountainous landscapes. A natural population survived in the Pyrenees, which also include Andorra, while the species disappeared from many other European regions. In the Alps, it was exterminated at the beginning of the 20th century. Since the 1980s, bearded vultures bred in captive-breeding programmes have been released there.

Its diet is characteristic: bearded vultures feed mainly on the bones and bone marrow of dead animals. They drop larger bones from the air onto rocky surfaces so that they break apart. Through this specialisation, they complement other scavengers and help to make full use of animal carcasses. The German name refers to the dark, bristle-like feathers below the beak. The older name “lammergeier”, on the other hand, is based on the formerly widespread and largely false belief that the bird regularly hunted lambs.

Populations declined mainly as a result of direct persecution, shooting and poisoned bait. Additional dangers include power lines, collisions, disturbances at breeding sites, and the ingestion of toxins or lead ammunition through animal carcasses. Bearded vultures do not breed until they are advanced in age and usually raise only one young bird. As a result, populations can compensate for losses only slowly. Conservation measures include monitoring breeding sites, combating illegal poisoning, and cross-border breeding and reintroduction programmes.

For Andorra, the species has a direct geographical connection. The country lies entirely in the Pyrenees; high mountains, cliffs and alpine pastures characterise a large part of its territory. The bearded vulture thus also represents the wildlife of this shared natural region, whose populations are not bound by national borders. The issue is not associated with any specific historical anniversary. Rather, the choice of the design can be understood as a reference to the protection of a species typical of the Pyrenees and to the need for internationally coordinated nature-conservation measures.