The two-year-old bearded vulture named Rei del Causse had been released into the wild from its home in Southern France as part of a species reintroduction program.

But rather than staying there the bird, which can have a wingspan of up to 2.8 meters, flew across France and Germany before finally stopping in Poland.

Why it ended up in Poznań on May 28 remains unclear although zoo staff say it could have been blown off course by strong winds.

Considered to be one of the most ferocious bird species in the world due to the way it smashes bones to get at the bone marrow, the vulture quickly made headlines after video footage of it peering through the kitchen window went viral.

Spotted by five people and eventually captured by experts, the bird is now resting and undergoing a mandatory quarantine period at the Poznań Zoo.

It will be released back in its native habitat after spending about 30 days recuperating at the city’s zoo.


The zoo told TVP World that the bird's condition is stable and there is nothing preventing its release into the wild following the end of quarantine.

It added that the vulture will most likely be released in a national park in France where the natural conditions are suitable for it.

The bearded vulture distinguishes itself by the unusual way it gets a meal.

A carrion bird, which has a penchant for bones and bone marrow, can drop its prey from a height of up to 150 meters into rocky ground in order to smash bones that are too big for it to eat.

The bearded vulture is one of the most endangered European bird species with the last century seeing its numbers and breeding ranges drastically reduced.