Generations of Bearded Vultures Stashed Humans' Treasures, Including a 650-Year-Old Sandal, in These Bird Nests

Researchers recovered more than 200 human artifacts from historical nests in southern Spain

Sarah Kuta - Daily Correspondent
October 3, 2025



Generations of bearded vultures return to the same nesting sites for centuries, offering archaeologists a glimpse into the past. Antoni Margalida

Bearded vultures are unusual birds. Their diet consists primarily of bones, which they sometimes drop from great heights to break into smaller, bite-size pieces. They deliberately change the color of their plumage by rolling around in reddish-orange mud. And they return to the same nesting sites year after year, with generations of the species even reusing nests for centuries.

That last tendency has been a boon to archaeologists, who recently recovered more than 200 human artifacts from historical bearded vulture nests in southern Spain. One of the most remarkable finds? A 650-year-old sandal made from woven twigs and grasses, according to a study published last month in the journal Ecology.

Bearded vultures have been extinct in southern Spain for 70 to 130 years, depending on the specific region. But while the birds have disappeared from the area, their well-preserved nests can still be found there, often tucked into protected, hidden spaces in the mountains.

Between 2008 and 2014, researchers carefully examined 12 of these nests, teasing them apart layer by layer to see what was preserved inside. To find the nests, scientists pored over historic records, including reports from naturalists who visited Andalusia, Spain’s southernmost region, in the 18th and 19th centuries, according to a statement from the University of Granada. They also chatted with longtime residents now in their 70s and 80s, who either remembered the birds personally or had heard stories about them.

More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/generations-bearded-vultures-stashed-humans-treasures-including-650-year-old-sandal-in-these-bird-nests-180987443/