Rare cinereous vulture with three-metre wingspan spotted in Denmark

A cinereous vulture, Europe’s largest bird of prey, has been observed flying over several locations in central Jutland, the Danish Ornithological Society confirmed.

Chairman Egon Østergaard called the sighting “highly unusual,” noting it is the first time the species has been recorded in Denmark as a free-flying bird rather than an escapee from captivity. The observation means the vulture will be accepted as one of more than 500 wild bird species in the country.

A birdwatcher photographed the vulture on 25 June above Sandfær Plantage near Holstebro. The images were later examined, confirming the bird’s identity. On 27 June, the vulture was also seen flying over central Herning.

By tracing the ring number, the society’s Rarities Committee determined the bird originated from a nest in Madrid. The vulture, likely hatched in 2023 or 2024, is a scavenger that rarely hunts live prey and typically nests in trees on slopes to catch updrafts.

Østergaard last saw a cinereous vulture in Denmark in 1975, but that bird had escaped from a zoo. A previous sighting in the late 2010s was not classified as a wild occurrence.