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Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Bearded Vulture

Bearded Vulture

Bearded vultures are one of the largest old world vultures found in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Its population, although widespread, has been in decline because of overhunting across most of its range.

Bearded Vulture

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Accipitriformes
Family Accipitridae
Genus Gypaetus
Scientific Name Gypaetus barbatus

Bearded Vulture Flying

Bearded Vulture Images

Lammergeier

Bearded Vulture Bird

Quick Information

Also known as Lämmergeier, ossifrage
Description

Size: 37-49 inches (94-125 centimeters)

Weight: 9.9-17.2 lbs (4.5-7.8 kg)

Wingspan: 7.6-9.3 ft (2.31-2.83 m)

Color: Adults are whitish, dark grey and rust colored; dark grayish-black or grayish-blue on the dorsal side with a darker tail but with lighter shafts; the forehead is cream-colored; there is a black-band around the eyes; there is black hair under the chin that gives them their name; plumage on the head, breast and leg varies between orange and rust

Sexual Dimorphism: Females marginally larger

Distribution Mountains of Europe and Asia, including the Pyrenees, Alps, Caucasus, Zagros Mountains, Alborzs, Afghanistan, Altai Mountains, the Himalayas, as well as in the Arabian Peninsula; Also scattered sporadically throughout Africa, south all the way to South Africa
Habitat Meadows, alpine pastures, heaths, montane savannas, rocky valleys, steppes, and forests
Sounds & Calls Mostly silent; makes a ’cheek-acheek’ call around the nest and high-pitched whistles during breeding displays
Lifespan Wild: More than 21 years
Captivity: At least 45 years
Diet Being a scavenger, it feeds on carrion, specifically bones and bone marrow of dead animals, which makes up as much as 90% of its diet; live animals, especially tortoises, are also taken
Adaptations
  • The thick neck makes swallowing whole bones, as long as a lamb’s femur, an easy task
  • The strong digestive system quickly processes the bones
  • The pointed tongue aids in sucking the marrow out of bones
  • Strong wings help them pick a tortoise up as heavy as themselves, fly to a height and drop the reptile to crack its shell open
Predators Golden eagles, griffon vultures, and common ravens prey on chicks; adults may also have hostile relationships with these birds, although they are not preyed upon
IUCN Conservation Status Near Threatened

Pictures of Bearded Vulture

Bearded Vulture Size

Behavior

  • Bearded vultures do not go in to feed while other scavengers are on a carcass. Instead, they wait patiently for the others to finish eating and go in last to feed on the bones.
  • They are diurnal, being active during the day.
  • They are usually solitary, other than breeding pairs.
  • Pairs partake in attractive flight displays during the breeding season, showing talons, spiraling and tumbling during flight.

Mating & Reproduction

They are monogamous with varying breeding seasons depending on the range. Clutches consist of 1-2 eggs, and rarely 3. They are incubated for 53-60 days.

Life-cycle

The hatchlings fledge 100-130 days after hatching. They are usually dependant on their parents for up to two years. Males reach sexual maturity after 9 years of age while females take around 7 years 8 months.

Bearded Vulture Chick

Bearded Vultures

Bearded Vulture Wings

Bearded Vulture Skull

Interesting Facts

  • Lammergeier in German means ‘lamb-vulture’.
  • In 1625, the Mughal Emperor Jahangir ordered the crop of a bearded vulture checked to confirm that it does indeed, feed almost exclusively on bones.
  • There are an estimated 10,000 pairs of wild bearded vultures in the world.
  • It is a close relative of the Egyptian vulture.

References:

  1. https://eol.org/pages/45515786
  2. https://wildtracks.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/bone-bustin-birds/
  3. https://4vultures.org/vultures/bearded-vulture/
  4. http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-bearded-vulture.html
  5. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Gypaetus_barbatus/

Published on June 27th 2018 by Sudipto Chakrabarti under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 5th December 2022.

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