Bearded vultures, cinereous vultures, Egyptian vultures, griffon vultures and displaying little bustards in Spain
Vulture Frenzy
With guideBrutus Östling
Fokus Fotoresor
Trip description
It is still chilly up at the highest peaks, at most a degree or two above freezing even though it is the second half of April. At nearly two thousand meters altitude in the southern Pyrenees, the air only warms up once the sun has been up for a few hours. A couple of Griffon Vultures have sailed past in the distance when suddenly a Bearded Vulture majestically glides across the valley below. It descends and lands with dignity on a rocky ledge. It almost looks as if it is admiring the magnificent landscape. Another Bearded Vulture glides past and then comes in to land just behind the first Bearded Vulture's perch. A nest on the mountainside a little further away must be the explanation.
There are 23 vulture species in the world. The four species that breed in Europe, in southern Europe to be more precise, are the Bearded Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Cinereous Vulture and Egyptian Vulture. We also find these species in other parts of the world, even though the Bearded Vulture in Ethiopia, for example, seems smaller than the Bearded Vultures that are resident in Spain. Perhaps the size difference is simply a consequence of the climate; in the Pyrenees as well as in the Alps and northern Greece the winters are colder than in Africa, and animals tend to be larger where the climate is colder.
Vultures are primarily scavengers, although some people working on a vulture project in Spain told me that there were a couple of Griffon Vulture individuals that had started killing animals. But then it was only sick and weak individuals or young animals. In general, though, vultures keep nature clean. They reduce the spread of disease by eating all kinds of carcasses.
Worldwide, there are estimated to be fewer than five thousand Cinereous Vultures, which makes the species one of the threatened vultures. The Cinereous Vulture has in recent years been reintroduced in northern Spain, and nowadays you can catch sight of it at one of the "vulture restaurants" that offer poison-free, veterinary-inspected food for threatened vulture species. This is something that has also benefited the Cinereous Vulture and the highly threatened Egyptian Vulture.
The Cinereous Vulture is a tough one that, when it lands at the restaurants, makes even the countless Griffon Vultures become a little cautious.
Eating carcasses is a dirty occupation. That is why most vulture species have more or less bare heads and necks. The Bearded Vulture differs in several ways from the other European vultures. To begin with, it is feathered on both neck and head, and in addition it has a small drooping moustache hanging down from its beak.
But above all it differs when it comes to diet. The Bearded Vulture often comes to the "restaurants" once the other vultures have finished eating and the meat is gone. All that remains are the bone remnants, which are precisely the Bearded Vulture's specialty. It wants the nutritious bone marrow found inside the bones. To get at the marrow it has a special approach. If it does not swallow the bone pieces whole – here one can rightly speak of "stomachs of steel" – it can bang the bone pieces against rocks or, even more sophisticated: it takes the bone pieces up into the air and from a height of 40–50 meters it then drops the bones so they shatter into small pieces against the rocks.
Many vultures breed in colonies, but the Bearded Vulture, just like the Egyptian Vulture and the Cinereous Vulture, is more solitary. On a windy day a Bearded Vulture can glide up to seven hundred kilometers. The Bearded Vulture pair's territory is extensive, and there is often at least ten kilometers between nesting sites. The Bearded Vulture is not critically endangered when looking at the whole world. In 2004, BirdLife International estimated the world population at between a couple of thousand and ten thousand birds.
But in Europe the Bearded Vulture is one of the most threatened species, after having been fairly common a couple of hundred years ago. When the EU a number of years ago prohibited farmers from leaving animals that had died of natural causes out in nature, the vultures lost an important food source. The vulture restaurants became increasingly important.
Just like other vultures, both the Egyptian Vulture and the Bearded Vulture were hit hard by the veterinary use of diclofenac in India, where the use of this painkiller for livestock was banned twenty years ago. Now that local Spanish and Italian authorities have permitted diclofenac for use on livestock, the threat picture has become more complicated for the already threatened Bearded, Egyptian and Cinereous Vultures in southern Europe.
In Sweden we have four lekking species: Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Great Snipe and Ruff. In southern Europe and especially in Spain we also find the Little Bustard, a species whose lekking grounds are threatened. For many bird lovers it has been a dream to photograph the male Little Bustards, which during the lek perform spectacular jumps. The lekking period is short, from the beginning of April and about a week into May. And we travel here during the lekking period.
The male Little Bustard is considerably less shy during the lek than our Capercaillie. The female Little Bustards, however, are even shyer than our female Capercaillies. So the actual mating takes place in the tall grass, well hidden from curious eyes.
The males' lekking display consists of a flapping of the wings, followed by a stamping on the ground reminiscent of a little flamenco dance which increases in tempo before the actual dance jump is performed.
When Brutus visited the fields outside Montgai in 2014, there was one male Little Bustard in particular that differed from the other males on the open fields outside the village of Montgai in Catalonia in northeastern Spain. This male was at the lekking ground long before the sun rose, and long before the other males appeared. The wing flapping and stamping began in the darkness of night, when the only thing lighting up the fields was the occasional car headlight. He displayed until it was almost lunchtime. The other males rarely showed themselves before dawn.
Images other than the image of the hide © Brutus Östling
Four and a half days of hide photography photographing Bearded Vultures, Cinereous Vultures, Griffon Vultures and Egyptian Vultures, all European species. One and a half days with Little Bustard and more.
Brutus has been down in the area around the Pyrenees a number of times since 2008. The photography takes place from hides with the best backgrounds and the most reliable visits by the spectacular Bearded Vulture, but also the Cinereous Vulture and Egyptian Vulture.
The Cinereous Vulture is in the process of being reintroduced in northern Spain, and on one of the days we head to the hide with the most reliable visits by this tough one.
The Griffon Vultures always come, and there are many of them. The squabbles when the pieces of meat are to be distributed provide plenty of opportunities for action shots.
We photograph the Little Bustard from hides at the lekking ground itself. We head out before the first daylight.
The Little Bustard is the smallest of the bustards in the northern hemisphere, yet it is not a small bird, in length as large as a female pheasant.
It prefers to stay in undisturbed farmland or meadow landscapes where the vegetation is tall enough to provide it with cover during the lekking season.
In Spain, where the Little Bustard has its strongest stronghold in Europe, the number of male Little Bustards over the last thirty-year period is estimated to have decreased by 80–90 percent. To the greatest extent the decline in the population is due to land areas that the species prefers (land that may not have been considered usable) now being put to use for other purposes.
Subject to minor changes.
Price
Clear pricing. Small groups. Focus on the images.
Early bird price
2,600 EUR
≈ $3,020 USD
per person
Normally 2,750 EUR
Save 150 EUR
Shared double room
Booking & peace of mind
Booking deposit
500 EUR
Travel guarantee included
Small group with personal guidance
Planned for the right light, place and pace
You’ll get confirmation and next steps by email.
Photo gallery
Itinerary
The trip begins and ends at Barcelona airport
Some activities may change depending on where conditions are best.
Day 1, arrival day, 25 April:
We arrive at Barcelona airport around midday, we drive in the Fokus bus to the village of Bonansa on a mountain top high up in the Pyrenees where we check in at the hotel and have dinner in the neighbouring village. The drive takes a little more than 2.5 hours.
New for 2027 is that we will spend the first three nights at the hotel in the mountain village. We ran a test on one of the trips in 2026 and it was much appreciated.
If the flight is very delayed, get in touch when you have landed or earlier, during a layover.
Day 2:
Breakfast is served at 6.30, at half past seven we are seated in two larger vulture hides high up in the Pyrenees, with snow-covered mountain peaks in the background at more than 1700 metres altitude, a very special place where a multitude of vultures appear as soon as the farmer has put out the food. The vultures often land while he is throwing out the meat bones. First come the griffon vultures, a little later the bearded vulture usually arrives, by then the griffon vultures have already done the preparatory work and the bones have been freed of much of the meat. The bearded vulture is a specialist, it wants the bone marrow. The Egyptian vultures may come before the bearded vultures, but they are small and search for pieces of meat a little to the side and in the bushes while the griffon vultures fight over the large chunks of meat. After the session, which lasts until around 15.00 or 16.00 (we choose ourselves), we look around the surroundings of the beautifully situated mountain village.
Day 3:
Same as day 2, but we switch hides.
Day 4:
We have breakfast at 6.00 at the hotel in Bonansa and then drive about an hour towards Tremp and the hide that is visited by cinereous vultures.
Half the day we sit in a hide on the mountain whose speciality is the cinereous vulture, the fourth European vulture species. For a decade or two the cinereous vulture has been in the process of being reintroduced in Catalonia, and the attempts have been at least partly successful. The background is a partial gorge and along the mountainside on the other side we notice a traditional mountain village.
Of course we also have griffon vultures and Egyptian vulture at this hide, as well as quite a lot of red and black kites; after two days at the bearded vulture hides we will probably be without bearded vulture this day.
The session at the cinereous vulture hide lasts about three and a half hours until 12.00. After the session we drive down to a restaurant beside a large river reservoir and have a tasty brunch.
After brunch we make our way down to the highland plain, check in at our hotel, and the second half of the day we devote to displaying little bustards and little owl and perhaps some other raptors and smaller birds. We enter the hides at around 17.00 and sit for about three hours.
Day 5:
We stay at the plains near the hotel where we are staying. And we head to the hides for little bustard and little owl respectively before sunrise. The little bustard often comes before it gets light even though we never see it jump until later. Of course no guarantee of jumping little bustards, this varies from year to year. After three hours of sitting we take a break, have brunch at the neighbouring village's restaurant and drive ten minutes to our hotel to rest and download images. In the afternoon we head to the same area but now we switch hides. The hides are one-person and sometimes two-person hides.
Day 6:
We sit six to seven hours in two parallel hides for bearded vultures a bit up in the mountains at the start of the Pyrenees, but still at a good 1100 metres altitude. The photography site is chosen with the background in mind. Precisely the background from the hides we have chosen differs from many other hides.
Toilet facilities are available, the hides have been modernised and from 2026 also have air conditioning - can be nice towards the afternoon. After the session we travel back to our hotel.
Day 7:
Repeat of day 6, but we switch hides.
Day 8, 25 April 2027:
We have time to eat breakfast at the hotel at 7.00 before we head to the airport. Return journey from Barcelona airport, but no earlier than 12.45 so we have time to drive there.
Changes may occur depending on weather and other circumstances we cannot influence. Any changes are made in order to optimise the conditions for good pictures.
Included in the price
- Accommodation in single rooms, everyone gets their own single room, we stay at two different hotels during the week
- All transport on site, the journeys between the airport and the accommodations, between the accommodations and to and from the hides
- Breakfast and packed lunch are included for the first three days
- The first three days we have access to a kitchen and a shared space in addition to our own bedroom and bathroom
- Guiding at each hide site
- Photographic advice, tips and help from our own photographic leader
Not included
- Flights to and from Barcelona
- tips, all food and drink, insurance and other things of a personal nature
- Cancellation protection
- We eat next to the accommodation, this is paid for by each person on site
- The Spanish countryside is characterised by low prices for food and drink
- For a three-course dinner all seven days including a carafe of wine, beer or a non-alcoholic drink, guests in 2025 paid a total of between 140 and 165 €
Spain
About Spain
Photograph Europe's most dramatic birds of prey and the rare Iberian lynx from specially built hides.
Highlights
vultures, Spanish imperial eagle, lynx, hides
Best time
Feb, Mar, Apr, May
Difficulty
Easy
Practical information
Dates
25 April - 2 May 2027
Regular price: 2750 €
Early-bird price until 16 July: 2600 €
(Booking deposit 500 €, see below)*
Photographic leader
Brutus Östling
**Number of participants
**
Min 4 / Max 5
Included in the price
Accommodation in single rooms, everyone gets their own single room, we stay at the same hotel all week except the first night when we are going to a hide high up in the Pyrenees, then we stay at the village hotel.
Transport from the airport, to the various hides and return to Barcelona airport
Six hide days and guiding by our photographic leader as well as local field guides in Catalonia. Seven nights.
Accommodation
The accommodation is simple, cleaning and bed-making are included. Wifi at the hotel, usually works in the rooms too. Welcoming staff with a restaurant on the ground floor. The restaurant attracts guests from the surrounding towns, known for its good food. In Bonansa we have a kitchen close to the rooms. In Bonansa breakfast is included.
Not included in the price
Flights to and from Barcelona, any tips, all food and drink, insurance and other things of a personal nature. Cancellation protection.
We eat next to the accommodation, this is paid for by each person on site. The Spanish countryside is characterised by low prices for food and drink. For a three-course dinner all seven days including a carafe of wine, beer or a non-alcoholic drink, guests in 2025 paid a total of between 150 and 165 €.
Single supplement
Single room is included.
Start and end of the trip
The trip begins and ends at Barcelona airport, exact time will be announced later.
Camera equipment
Focal lengths and lenses, and now I am assuming full frame: everything from 24 mm for landscapes to longer. But 95 % of the time you use from 100 to 500 mm. Teleconverter for close-ups. Tripod and tripod head, and note that the tripod head must be able to be detached from the tripod.
Clothing
A warm jacket and jumpers are needed especially early in the morning when we are out, sometimes it can get really hot, however: some days can be really chilly, this applies especially to the day in the hide up at 1400 metres altitude.
Hide clothing
In the hides we should wear black or dark jumpers, if possible with long sleeves. Thin dark fingerless gloves are great, the light fingers show easily through the hide glass but this is not entirely necessary.
Accessibility
The accommodation has some limitations regarding accessibility if you have functional mobility impairments. The areas we move around in for photography may involve reduced accessibility with impaired mobility. Feel free to call us and ask.
Visa/Passport
Swedish citizens do not need a visa but must have a passport. A passport is required at check-in for the flight.
*Payment terms
The payment terms deviate from our general travel terms. The booking deposit is paid via invoice in connection with registration.
The booking deposit is 500 €. This is not refunded upon cancellation.
By 26 November 2026 at the latest, a further 500 € is paid, and the remainder is paid 60 days before the trip begins. In the event of cancellation later than 26 November 2026, Fokus retains both the booking deposit and the 500 € paid by 26 November at the latest. If payment is late but cancellation occurs after 26 November, Fokus is entitled to demand the delayed payment of the amount then due.
In the event of cancellation later than 60 days before the workshop, the full price is charged even if not everything has been paid in time.
Extra travel terms for this trip:
The price is based on 2026 prices, no price increase has been announced, but if the hotel or the hide operator raises the price, Fokus may charge a small increase, corresponding to this price increase, however at most 5 % of the total price or 150 €. In the event of a higher increase, the traveller has the right to cancel free of charge. With fewer than 4 participants we can carry out the trip, but a supplement of 250 € per participant must be charged if the number of participants is only 3. With two participants we also try to carry out the trip, but with a supplement of 350 € per participant.
From past travellers
What they brought home
After the trip, our guests share their photos and reflections. Here is a selection from photographers who have travelled with us before.
Photos from travellers' own cameras“A photography trip should be just like this, up at dawn and collapsing into bed late with long days of many beautiful moments. With both the big focus and the camera focus on care for nature and fauna. I greatly appreciated the breadth of the trip with the jaguar as a final highlight! Perfect group size, thank you for excellent guiding Brutus!”
“Good accommodation many vultures Just a bit too much driving but probably hard to avoid on this type of trip”
Photos from past travellers
A selection of photos guests shared after the trip.
Good to know
Plan early for the best light windows
Early decisions improve flight options, logistics, and access to peak photo opportunities.
See current availability and prices in the booking form above