A majestic bearded vulture was spooked by two base jumpers who were plummeting off a mountain in Grimentz, Switzerland.

Slo-mo footage filmed on December 19 shows the bird of prey gracefully circling the area before suddenly changing direction.

One of the jumper's shadows can be seen on the mountain face as they drop down into the valley.

The filmer told Newsflare: "He was gliding very quietly for a long long time when all of a sudden he started diving and flying erratically as if to escape from an attack.

"At first it looked like he tried to escape from an attacking raven or falcon but there was no other bird to be seen. In fact, there were two people, base jumpers, who had just jumped from higher above and they flew near the bird.

"The base jumpers said they initially did see the vulture before jumping, so they waited over 10 minutes. Then, looking down again, when they didn't see the vulture anymore after a long wait, they thought the bird had left.

"This could have been a dangerous situation for both them and the bird.

"This was a close call, but luckily no accident occurred, and no bird-human collision has ever happened here, despite the numerous birds and occasional base jumpers."

While birdwatching in the swiss Alps, filming a young majestic bearded vulture fly in quiet cold air , a very rare huge bird with 2.8m wingspan, in the swiss Alps,

There was no wind at all, and no rising thermals. This vulture needs rising air to fly up, but because of the very cold and stable air he could hardly rise, so he was flying for a long long time alongside a high cliff, waiting to find thermals to develop in the sunshine... , so close, he touched it with his wing. He was gliding very quietly for a long long time , .... when all of a sudden he started diving and flying erratically, as if to escape from an attack. At first it looked like he tried to escape from an attacking raven or falcon but there was no other bird to be seen. In fact, there were two people, base jumpers, who had just jumped from higher above and they flew near the bird. You can clearly see their shadow cast on the wall behind the vulture, quickly falling down. Seconds later they opened their parachutes for a safe landing. The vulture flew away, but later returned to finally find thermals and rise high in the sky.
The base jumpers said they initially did see the vulture before jumping , so they waited over 10 minutes . Then, looking down again, when they didn't see the vulture anymore after a longer wait, they thought the bird had left. But they don't have a perfect visual from their "exit" spot where they jump, of what happens vertically exactly under them. Since the bird was flying so close to the wall they couldn't see it anymore. So they finally jumped , thinking the vulture had left the area. Just as they took off they immediately saw the bird again but it was too late to stop, they were already airborne. Luckily the bird was rather close to the wall while the base jumpers fly away from the wall for safety. This could have been a dangerous situation for both them and the bird. This cliff is very popular amongst base jumpers, wingsuit flyers , and vultures, eagles and other birds, too as they fly here to find rising air... This was a close call, but luckily no accident occured , and no bird-human collision has ever happened here, despite the numerous birds and occasionnal base jumpers.

filmed in slow motion,
sound edited.

camera Canon EOS R6, lens RF 800/11, handheld.