Bearded vulture, or lammergeier
The bearded vulture, also known as the lammergeier, is a distinctive bird of prey primarily found in high mountains and foothills across southern Europe, Asia, and Africa. Recognizable by its unique appearance, it features a black mask around its eyes and feather tufts resembling a beard. This scavenger is famous for its remarkable feeding behavior; it drops large bones from great heights to crack them open and access the marrow inside, earning it the nickname "bone breaker" in Spain.
Typically, bearded vultures can soar at altitudes of up to 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) and prefer remote areas away from human activity. They are monogamous and build multiple nests from sticks and various materials, often reusing and expanding them annually. The breeding season extends from October to July, during which the female lays one to three pale tan eggs. Although the species has faced threats from hunting and habitat changes, it is not globally threatened due to its wide range. In the wild, bearded vultures live around 20 years, with a potential lifespan of up to 40 years in captivity.
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Bearded vulture, or lammergeier
The bearded vulture is native to southern Europe and Asia. The bearded vulture is named for the black mask around its eyes and feather tufts which droop on either side of its beak like a beard or moustache. In Spain, this bird of prey is called the "bone breaker" because it drops bones from great heights to crack them. It then eats the marrow inside as well as the smaller pieces of bones. It is also called the lammergeier.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Gypaetis
Species: Barbatus
High mountains and foothills in Europe, Asia, and Africa are the typical home of the bearded vulture. It tends to live in places which are difficult to reach and at some distance from people, even at altitudes of 15,000 feet (4,500 meters) in the Himalayan Mountains. It is one of the species of Old World vultures, or those which lives on the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia.
The bearded vulture has cream or tan plumage (feathering) covering its chest and stomach. The long, narrow, forward-curving, nine-foot (three-meter) wings and wedge-shaped, long tail have dark brown or black feathers. A dark red eye gazes from either side of the bird's white face. Black feathers form a mask around the eyes and become tufts which look like a beard or moustache around its beak. The bearded vulture is up to four feet (one meter) long and weighs between 10 and 15 pounds (four to seven kilograms). Females are slightly larger than males.
The bearded vulture's wings allow it to soar and glide for hours on thermals, or rising, warm, air currents. As it rides the thermals, the vulture scans the ground for carcasses, or bodies of dead animals. It eats the carrion, or dead animal flesh, of sheep, goats, or deer. As a scavenger, it eats the tough meat and skeletons which other animals leave. It typically drops large bones onto the rocks to shatter them so it can eat the marrow inside as well as the smaller pieces of bone themselves. Small bones are swallowed whole. This habit has earned the bird the name "bone breaker" in Spain. Some bones it finds near dumps, slaughterhouses, and farms. The vulture also drops small rodents and tortoises. Small birds, such as partridges, are also items in its diet. The bearded vulture usually hunts alone, but it occasionally hunts with its mate.
Bearded vultures are mostly monogomous. The bearded vulture builds up to five different nests on sheltered ledges or inside small caves on the mountain sides. Large amounts of sticks and trash, such as rags and paper, are the materials for the nests, which may be around three feet (one meter) high and six feet (two meters) across the top. The bird often uses the same nests each year and makes them larger.
Breeding season occurs from October to July. Before mating, a male and female ride a thermal to a great height and then roll over and grasp each others talons. As they fall toward the ground they tumble, somersault, and cartwheel until they are close to the ground, and then they let go and ride another thermal.
The female lays between one to three pale tan eggs in the nest and incubates them for two months. All chicks receive food from their parents, but only one chick survives. It stays in the nest until it is nearly three months old. At this age it is able to fledge, or fly for the first time. After five years the young vulture is able to mate.
The bearded vulture is quite rare but is under protection. In Europe, it has been endangered by hunting, changes in its habitat, and accidental poisoning. However, because the range of the bearded vulture is large, the species is not considered to be threatened globally. The life span of the bearded vulture is around 20 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity.
Bibliography
“Bearded Vulture.” Vulture Conservation Foundation, 4vultures.org/vultures/bearded-vulture. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
“Bearded Vulture.” The Peregrine Fund, 2021, peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species/vultures/bearded-vulture. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.