Lammergeier, Ossifrage
The Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is a very large bird of prey and the only member of the genus Gypaetus. This bird is also identified as Huma bird or Homa bird in Iran and north west Asia. The Bearded vulture is the only known vertebrate whose diet consists almost exclusively (70 to 90 percent) of bone. It doesn’t migrate and lives and breeds on crags in high mountains. This mysterious scavenger is also identified as a mythical bird in Iran and northwest Asia.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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GlidingGliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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PolyandryPolygyny is a mating system in which one female lives and mates with multiple males but each male only mates with a single female.
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Bearded vulture is essentially unmistakable with other vultures or indeed other birds in flight due to its long, narrow wings and long, wedge-shaped tail. Unlike most vultures, the Bearded vulture does not have a bald head. The bird is relatively small-headed, although its neck is powerful and thick. The gait on the ground is waddling and the feet are large and powerful. The adult is mostly dark gray, rusty, and whitish in color. It is grey-blue to grey-black above. The creamy-colored forehead contrasts against a black band across the eyes and lores and bristles under the chin, which form a black beard that gives the bird its English name. Bearded vultures are variably orange or rusty of plumage on their head, breast, and leg feathers. This coloration may come from dust-bathing, rubbing mud on its body, or drinking in mineral-rich waters.
Bearded vultures occur in mountainous regions in the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus region, the Zagros Mountains, the Alborz, the Koh-i-Baba in Bamyan, Afghanistan, the Altai Mountains, the Himalayas, Ladakh in northern India, western and central China. In Africa, they are found in the Atlas Mountains, the Ethiopian Highlands, and south from Sudan to the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, central Kenya, and northern Tanzania. An isolated population inhabits the Drakensberg of South Africa. Bearded vultures are associated with mountains and inselbergs with plentiful cliffs, crags, precipices, canyons, and gorges. They are often found near alpine pastures and meadows, montane grassland and heath, steep-sided, rocky wadis, and high steppe and occasionally around forests. In Ethiopia, these birds are now common on the outskirts of small villages and towns.
Bearded vultures are sedentary and occupy an enormous territory year-round. They live in pairs but outside of the breeding season prefer to spend their time singly. These birds are active during the day soaring for many hours in search of carcasses or live prey. They may forage over two square kilometers each day. When feeding Bearded vultures can swallow whole or bite through brittle bones up to the size of a lamb's femur and their powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces. Since they favor bone marrow, these birds have learned to crack bones too large to be swallowed by carrying them in flight to a height of 50-150 m (160-490 ft) above the ground and then dropping them onto rocks below; this smashes them into smaller pieces and exposes the nutritious marrow. They can fly with bones up to 10 cm (3.9 in) in diameter and weigh over 4 kg (8.8 lb), or nearly equal to their own weight. After dropping the large bones, the Bearded vulture spirals or glides down to inspect them and may repeat the act if the bone is not sufficiently cracked. This learned skill requires extensive practice by immature birds and takes up to 7 years to master. Less frequently, these birds may break bones (usually of medium size) by hammering them with their bill directly into rocks while perched. Live prey is usually predaciously seized and dropped in flight. When feeding on carrion, Bearded vultures prefer the limbs of sheep and other small mammals and they carry the food to the nest, unlike other vultures which feed their young by regurgitation.
Bearded vultures are scavengers, feeding mostly on the remains of dead animals including mammals, birds, and reptiles. They usually disdain the actual meat and eat only bone marrow. During the breeding season, however, they feed mainly on carrion.
Bearded vultures are monogamous and form strong pair bonds. However, sometimes they may exhibit a polyandrous mating system in which one female has more than one partner. The breeding period is variable, being December through September in Eurasia, November to June in the Indian subcontinent, October to May in Ethiopia, throughout the year in eastern Africa, and May to January in southern Africa. The territorial and breeding display between Bearded vultures is spectacular. It involves the showing of talons, tumbling, and spiraling while in solo flight. The large birds also regularly lock feet with each other and fall some distance through the sky with each other. Pairs usually nest in caves and on ledges and rock outcrops or caves on steep rock walls. The nest is a massive pile of sticks with a covering of various animal matter from food, after repeated uses. The female usually lays a clutch of 1 to 2 eggs (rarely 3) which are incubated for 53 to 60 days. The chicks hatch helpless and rely on their parents for food, warmth, and protection. They spend 100 to 130 days in the nest before fledging and may be dependent on their parents for up to 2 years. It usually takes them 5 years to reach full maturity.
The Bearded vulture is one of the most endangered European bird species. Over the last century, its abundance and breeding range have drastically declined due to the increase in human population and infrastructure. The increase of infrastructure includes the building of houses, roads, and power lines. Therefore the major threats to the Bearded vulture include a decrease in habitat space, fatal collisions with energy infrastructure, reduced food availability, poisons left out for carnivores, and direct persecution in the form of Trophy Hunting.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Bearded vulture is 2,000-10,000 individuals, roughly equating to 1,300-6,700 mature individuals. In Europe, the population of this species consists of 580-790 pairs, which equates to 1,200-1,600 mature individuals. Currently, the Bearded vulture is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
As carrion scavengers, Bearded vultures play an important role in their ecosystem. By removing animal remains these birds clean up the environment, helping to prevent diseases from spreading.
