The Alps are an Eldorado for birdwatchers. From the mighty bearded vulture with a wingspan of almost three metres to the inconspicuous wallcreeper that flits like a butterfly across vertical rock faces , anyone who brings patience, good binoculars and a little knowledge will encounter species that have long since vanished elsewhere.
Species in pictures
The most spectacular species
Birds of prey & vultures
- Golden eagle: The king of the Alps with a wingspan of up to 2.2 m, circling over slopes and ridges.
- Bearded vulture: Europe’s largest bird of prey (over 2.80 m), reintroduced since the 1980s , especially in the Klausbach valley.
- Griffon Vulture: A summer visitor from the south, often in groups at carcasses.
- Eagle Owl: Europe’s largest owl, it breeds on rock faces and calls at dusk.
High-mountain specialists
- Wallcreeper: The “butterfly of the rocks” , crimson wings, climbing sheer walls. The holy grail of many birders.
- Rock Ptarmigan: Turns from brown to snow-white, perfectly camouflaged above the tree line.
- Alpine Chough: The cheeky black bird with a yellow bill at summits and mountain stations.
- White-winged Snowfinch: A high-alpine finch of the rock and firn region.
- Alpine Accentor: An inconspicuous singer of the scree slopes.
- Citril Finch: A yellow-green finch of mountain forests and alpine pastures.
Forest, water & ground
- Spotted Nutcracker: The jay of the conifer forests, it caches stone-pine seeds as a winter store.
- Capercaillie and Black Grouse: Shy grouse of the mountain forests, displaying in spring.
- White-throated Dipper: Dives for food in ice-cold mountain streams.
- Ring Ouzel: The “mountain blackbird” with a white breast band.
- Three-toed Woodpecker: A specialist of deadwood-rich mountain forests.
Where to see them , the best spots
- Nationalpark Berchtesgaden , bearded vulture in the Klausbach valley, golden eagle, rock partridge.
- Hohe Tauern / Großglockner , bearded vulture, golden eagle, alpine chough by the road.
- Gran Paradiso & Vanoise , bearded vulture, golden eagle, rock ptarmigan.
- Triglav National Park and the Swiss National Park , strictly protected, top for birds of prey.
- Gesäuse National Park , golden eagles circle above the Enns valley.
How to watch them properly
Best time: early morning and evening; spring (courtship) and autumn.
Keep your distance: never approach breeding sites; in winter especially every disturbance costs vital energy.
Optics matter: a bright handheld pair of binoculars, and a spotting scope for the long distances across the slope.