The bearded vulture ( Gypaetus barbatus ), also known as the lammergeier, is a unique and fascinating bird of prey. This large vulture, found in mountainous regions across Europe, Asia, and Africa, has a specialized diet and a striking appearance that sets it apart from other vultures.
Taxonomy and Etymology
The bearded vulture belongs to the family Accipitridae, which also includes hawks and eagles. It is the only member of the genus Gypaetus. While traditionally considered an Old World vulture, genetic studies have revealed that it forms a separate lineage within Accipitridae, closely related to the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).
The scientific name Gypaetus barbatus is derived from Greek and Latin words meaning "vulture-eagle" and "bearded," respectively, referring to the distinctive tuft of black feathers under its chin. The name "lammergeier" comes from the German word Lämmergeier, meaning "lamb-vulture."
Description
The bearded vulture is a large bird, measuring 94-125 cm (37-49 in) in length and boasting a wingspan of 2.31-2.83 m (7 ft 7 in - 9 ft 3 in). Its weight ranges from 4.5-7.8 kg (9.9-17.2 lb). Females are generally larger than males.
Unlike most vultures, the bearded vulture has a feathered head and neck. Adults have a striking appearance, with dark gray to gray-black feathers on their upper body and creamy-colored feathers on their forehead, contrasting with a black band across their eyes. The head, breast, and leg feathers are often variably orange or rust-colored due to dust-bathing or rubbing iron-rich mud on their body. The tail feathers and wings are dark gray.
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Juvenile bearded vultures have a much different physical appearance than adults, with a dark brown to black colored head and neck. It takes about five years for them to attain their full adult colors.
Distribution and Habitat
Bearded vultures are sparsely distributed across a vast range, inhabiting mountainous regions in:
- Europe: Pyrenees, Alps, Spain
- Asia: Iran, the Caucasus region, the Zagros Mountains, the Alborz Mountains, the Koh-i-Baba in Bamyan, Afghanistan, the Altai Mountains, the Himalayas, Ladakh in northern India, Tibet, China, and southern Siberia.
- Africa: Atlas Mountains, the Ethiopian Highlands, Sudan, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, central Kenya, northern Tanzania, and the Drakensberg in South Africa.
They typically reside at high elevations, ranging from 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in Europe to 4,500 m (14,800 ft) in Africa and 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in central Asia. Their preferred habitats include mountains, forests, and rocky cliffs, as well as pastures and meadows where prey animals and their predators reside.
Diet and Feeding Habits
The bearded vulture is a scavenger with a highly specialized diet. Unlike most vultures, it primarily feeds on bones, which make up 85-90% of its diet. This is the only living bird species that specializes in feeding on bones. The remaining portion of their diet consists of carrion.
Bearded vultures have several adaptations that allow them to efficiently consume bones:
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- Strong stomach acid: Their stomach acid has a pH of around 1, enabling them to digest large bones within 24 hours.
- Bone-breaking behavior: They drop large bones from heights of 50-150 meters (160 to 490 feet) onto rocks to shatter them into smaller, swallowable pieces. This behavior requires extensive practice and can take up to seven years for young birds to master.
- Swallowing whole bones: They can swallow whole or bite through brittle bones up to the size of a lamb's femur.
While bones are their primary food source, bearded vultures also consume meat and skin, especially when feeding their chicks. They favor fattier, elongated bones like tarsal bones and tibias, which contain higher levels of oleic acid.
Occasionally, bearded vultures attack live prey, including tortoises, rock hyraxes, hares, marmots, ibex, and chamois. They may drop tortoises from the sky to crack their shells or batter larger animals with their wings until they fall off cliffs.
Behavior
Bearded vultures are rarely vocal birds, but they may make chuckling noises to communicate and defend or attract mates. They have a poorly developed sense of smell and rely heavily on their excellent eyesight to locate carcasses.
They are known as fierce protectors of their territory and nest, often engaging in aerial displays such as mutual circling and high-speed chases to ward off intruders. These displays may also serve as social play to practice courtship skills.
Reproduction
The breeding season of the bearded vulture varies depending on its location, occurring from December to 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.
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Bearded vultures are generally monogamous, with pairs forming strong bonds that can last for many years. In rare cases, polyandry (one female with multiple males) has been observed. Their courtship display is spectacular, involving the showing of talons, tumbling, and spiraling through the sky.
They build massive nests of sticks on cliffs or in caves, which can grow up to 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) across and 1 meter (3.3 feet) deep after repeated use. The female typically lays one or two eggs, which are incubated for 53 to 60 days. The young birds spend 100 to 130 days in the nest before fledging and may remain dependent on their parents for up to two years.
Lifespan
Bearded vultures have a long lifespan, with individuals living an average of 21.4 years in the wild. In captivity, they can live up to 45 years.
Conservation Status
The bearded vulture is currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Its population has declined in many areas due to habitat loss, hunting, poisoning, and disturbance of breeding sites. In Europe, the species was almost wiped out by the early 20th century due to persecution based on the mistaken belief that they preyed on livestock and children.
However, successful conservation and reintroduction programs have led to stable or increasing populations in some regions, such as the Alps and the Pyrenees. These programs involve captive breeding, release of young birds into the wild, and efforts to reduce threats such as poisoning and habitat loss.
Reintroduction Efforts
Reintroduction efforts began in the 1970s in the French Alps. Zoologists attempted to release vultures that had been captured in Afghanistan, but this approach proved unsuccessful. A second attempt was made in 1987, using a technique called "hacking", in which young individuals (from zoological parks) would be taken from the nest and placed in a protected area in the Alps. As they were still unable to fly at that age, the chicks were hand-fed by humans until the birds learned to fly and were able to reach food without human assistance.
Today, the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) oversees a captive-breeding network that involves 40 entities, including zoos, nonprofits, and government collaborators. Between 1978 and 2016, biologists reared 488 young birds in captivity, allowing reintroductions to expand to other mountain ranges, including Andalucía in Spain, the Grands Causses in France, Sardinia, and Corsica.
Winning public enthusiasm for the reintroductions has been another crucial element in this success. Early on, biologists and conservationists met with farmers and other community members in the Alps to bust myths about the bird and began holding educational demonstrations.
Cultural Significance
In Iranian mythology, the bearded vulture (known as the "Homa") is considered a symbol of luck and happiness. It was believed that if the shadow of a Homa fell on one, he would rise to sovereignty, and anyone shooting the bird would die in forty days.
In Tibet, corpses are fed to this vulture in a rite called a "sky burial."