Since Friday, several vale vultures have been spotted above Drenthe. These are large birds that originally mainly occur in parts of Asia and Africa and in Southern Europe. Every year a few come to the Netherlands. But the fact that they fly over in a group of ten or more does not happen that often.
Since Friday, a group of about fifteen vultures circles over the Netherlands. They are seen above Drenthe, but also above Overijssel, Friesland and Noord-Brabant. Drenthe ecologist and bird connoisseur Hans Dekker calls it impressive birds: “They are really huge rags, it is as if fifteen doors are coming over.”
Dekker has not yet been able to see this swarm with its own eyes. “I am disappointed as a plug. I am in The Hague these days. But I am about to return to Drenthe and then I hope to see them for a while.”
According to the Drenthe ecologist, De Vale Vultures have discovered a warm air flow in our direction. “It happens more often that Vale Vultures with a southern warm wind, with the thermal, come this way. Every year there are some individual copies to the Netherlands. But that such a group comes over, that does not happen every year.”
The vultures are mainly seen over flying. “But they really come to the ground or spend the night here in trees. In the first observation in this period there were fifteen above Ansen. Now the groups are slightly smaller, about ten or thirteen, so then a few left or right are turned,” explains Dekker.
In recent days, bird spotters made reports of Vale vultures above Ruinen, Eelde, Schoonloo, Barger-Oosterveld, Tynaarlo and Hoogeveen. Hans Dekker expects that they will also continue to fly above our country. “That depends on the wind. As the wind is now, they have to be full of it to return home. But as soon as the wind turns northeast, they will return.”
He continues: “They have little to look for here. The Netherlands is way too neat in that regard. Vale vultures are scavengers, real cleaners. They need dead animals and they can’t find much here.” According to Dekker, people do not have to be afraid of these birds, they don’t attack cattle and certainly no people.
So Dekker has not yet been able to see this group of vultures, but the impressive bird is no stranger to him. “I have seen them more often, also in Drenthe. De Vale Gier remains impressive and beautiful to see. In 2017 there were sixty vultures at Exloo, that was really unique. I can’t realize that there was ever such a large group in the Netherlands.”
Article continues under the photo