Bearded Vulture ZSM

The bearded vulture is one of the most threatened bird species in Europe. For this reason it benefits from a national action plan, with the creation of "ZSMs": Major Sensitivity Zones in various mountain ranges.

A Major Sensitivity Zone is an area about 3 km wide where human activities can harm bearded vultures at their breeding site. These ZSMs are found in the French mountain ranges: the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Grands Causses and Corsica. All pilots flying in these areas are asked to go around these ZSMs or to fly over them at more than 700 m above ground level, i.e. 2,100 ft AGL. These ZSMs are the nesting territories of pairs of bearded vultures. Overflying these zones is the leading cause of breeding failure in this protected bird species. In addition, these zones are where you are most likely to meet them and therefore to collide with these birds, which have a wingspan of more than 2 m 80.

© Image: Jean-François SEGUIN, PNRC

The FFPLUM, mindful of preserving this very fragile environment and in order to better inform microlight pilots of the existence of these "bearded vulture ZSMs", signed a national agreement in June 2020 with the bodies that manage these ZSMs: the DREAL Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the LPO (Ligue Protection des Oiseaux), ASTER-CEN74 and SMPNRC (Syndicat Mixte du Parc Naturel Régional de Corse). This agreement gives FFPLUM-licensed pilots access to the information so that they can download these ZSMs into their navigation tools, helping them to limit disturbance caused by aircraft overflights in these sensitive areas.

1 November 2024 marked the start of a new breeding cycle for the bearded vulture, and the bearded vulture Major Sensitivity Zones (ZSMs) are active. Attached you will find the files (in .gpx and .kml formats) of the bearded vulture buffer ZSMs across the whole country.
Please take them into account in your activities to limit the risk of disturbance.
The next update of this file will take place on 1 March 2025 (deactivation of all ZSMs that are not occupied by birds).

The information is also available on the SIA website (e-AIP France, section ENR 5.6) but only as PDF charts.

You can download the bearded vulture ZSMs directly from the STAC website: https://www.stac.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/zsm

To understand ZSMs better, watch the video: https://youtu.be/uXTDQtszhGc

Download the national action plan for the bearded vulture.

Local contacts are also available below:

Alps and Haute-Savoie: M.Heuret – Asters CEN74 - 06.26.03.37.55 -marie.heuret@cen-haute-savoie.org

Vanoise National Park: J. Cavailhes – PNV - 06.89.17.78.02 -jerome.cavailhes@vanoise-parcnational.fr

Écrins National Park: Y.Bunz – PNE - 06.99.77.37.65 -avis-autorisation@ecrins-parcnational.fr

Ecrins-Dauphiné (outside the National Park) C.Couloumy – Envergures Alpines - 06.81.06.05.58 -envergures.alpines@gmail.com

Mercantour National Park: F.Breton – PNM - 06.98.16.93.57 -francois.breton@mercantour-parcnational.fr

Thank you all for your eco-responsible commitment to preserving these protected species.