Diet

What does the Bearded Vulture eat?

The bearded vulture is a carnivore which will feed on carrion and bone marrow. Small reptiles and turtles may also be consumed on occasion.

Unlike many vultures which seek out carrion these eagles will actively capture prey and then drop it from a height before going down and consuming it. This is also used to break up bones so they can consume them.

These food sources are unsuitable for other vultures giving bearded vultures unchallenged access to them. Their stomach PH is highly acidic giving them the ability to digest bone in as little as 24 hours.

It is rare for this species to enter in to confrontations at carcasses. Instead they will wait until the carcass is clear and eat the older meat and bones.

In urban areas it is common for this species to forage at rubbish dumps.

Learn more about the Bearded Vulture in this video from Animal Fact Files on YouTube

Range

Where do you find the Bearded Vulture?

The bearded vulture has a wide range covering parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Here they can be found in the following countries - Afghanistan; Andorra; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bhutan; China; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; France; Georgia; Greece; India; Iran; Iraq; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Lesotho; Mongolia; Morocco; Nepal; Pakistan; Russia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Uzbekistan and Yemen.

They are regarded as a vagrant in a number of countries - Croatia; Cyprus; Czechia; Germany; Israel; Jordan; Democratic People's Republic of Korea; Lebanon; Mozambique; Namibia; Portugal; Romania; Somalia and Zimbabwe

This species has been driven to extinction in a number of countries including - Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Liechtenstein; Montenegro; North Macedonia; Serbia; Syrian Arab Republic. They may also be extinct in Saudi Arabia.

Bearded vultures have been reintroduced to the following countries following extinction - Austria; Italy and Switzerland.

While extinct in Mauritania and Palestine they may still be recorded here as a vagrant.

Habitat

Where can the Bearded Vulture survive?

This species is found in mountainous areas occurring mostly at high elevations. They will also make use of scrubland and grassland.

They occur alongside species such as wolves and golden eagles which will hunt prey that the bearded vulture can then use as carrion.

Credit: Public Domain

Reproduction

How does the Bearded Vulture produce its young?

Breeding season is variable being based on their location.

On occasion these birds will accept a second male in to their pair to create a polyandrous trio. This second male will help to protect the nest and to provide food increasing the chance that young are successful.

Their nest is large and formed from sticks. This is then lined with wool and skin from animals. In some areas dung and rubbish are also used to line the nest. They will locate the nest on a cliffside or in a cave. The nest is reused for multiple years.

In to the nest they will deposit between 1 and 2 eggs around 90 days after they breed. These are incubated for 53-58 days.

When food is scarce it is common for only one chick to survive. It will hatch first and become larger allowing it to outcompete its rival.

Parents do not regurgitate food like most carnivorous birds. Instead they will bring prey back to the nest for the chick to feed on. Chicks fledge after 106-130 days in the nest.

Sexual maturity is reached between 7 and 9 years old with males maturing later than females.

Behavior

What does the Bearded Vulture do during its day?

These birds will rub soil across their chest. No purpose has been agreed for this but a leading theory is that it acts as a status symbol. Older vultures with more knowledge of their environment and feeding patterns have more time to spend rubbing soil in to their feathers.

Another theory around this behavior is that the iron oxide in the soil will help to fend off bacteria.

These birds are active during the day.

They are most vocal during the breeding season. At this time they will make a clucking sound. A shrill twittering is also produced.

Credit: Public Domain

Predators and Threats

What stops the Bearded Vulture from surviving and thriving?

While this species has few predators it does experience kleptoparasitism. This is where one species will steal prey from one another.

These birds were hunted to near extinction by parents who believed that they would carry children away. At present they remain extinct in large portions of their range (For further details see the range section.).

Numbers of bearded vultures have been declining across their range. Their total population is estimated to be between 1,675 and 6,700.

A range of threats are faced by the bearded vulture. These include poisoning, persecution, disturbance while breeding, unavailability of food and collisions with man-made structures such as powerlines and wind turbines.

An increase in feral dogs has seen them outcompeted for food.

In some areas this species will be hunted for food and use in traditional medicine.

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Bearded Vulture facts

These birds may also be known as the lammergeier.

Lammergeier comes from German and means lamb-vulture. It is uncommon for this species to feed on lambs.

A tale from the time of the ancient Greeks says that dramatist Aeschylus was hit in the head by a turtle dropped by a bearded vulture. It is thought the bird mistook his bald head for a rock.

Credit: Noel Reynolds, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons