Bearded vulture

Bonecrusher of legends and fables

Common Name		Bearded vulturer; Lammergeier; Gypaéte (Fr); Quebrantahuesos(Sp)
Scientific Name		Gypaetus barbatus
Habitat		High mountains and open ranges.
Location		Mountainous regions of Africa, Southern Europe and Asia.
Population		(Alpine:) Approximately 100 breeding pairs exist in Europe today, mostly in the Pyrenees between France and Spain; on the Island of Corsica, on the Greek island of Crete and mailand Greece. It has also been reintroduced in the European Alps.

Background

This profile has been reviewed by Doris Calegari, European Alpine Programme, WWF-Switzerland office.

The bearded vulture is the Alps' largest bird and one of the rarest raptors in Europe. It nests on high rock ledges and inhabits exclusively high mountainous areas (500-4,000m). It can be found usually above the tree line, in rugged areas with steep slopes and in alpine pastures. Bearded vultures were once found in almost all mountain ranges of southern Europe and the Alps.

Probably no other raptor has made such a deep impression on people, as evidenced  by the numerous fables and legends concerning it.

Physical Description

Size
The bearded vulture reaches 1.15m in size (from head to tail), its wingspan is around 2.7m and it weighs about 5-7kg.

Colour
Bearded vultures have reddish yellow or white plumage on the head and breast with a grey black tail and wings. In the adult individual the black strip over the eyes and the bristles at the base of the beak form the distinctive appearance of a beard. The white colour of the neck and under parts of captive birds as opposed to the reddish plumage of wild ones remained unexplained for many years, until it was discovered that wild birds deliberately put iron oxide on their plumage. When captive birds were provided with iron-rich water they started to bathe in it as they do in the wild and plumage turned reddish again!

Habitat

Major habitat type
High mountains and open ranges

Range States
(Alpine) France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Germany

Geographical Location
Mountainous regions of Africa, Southern Europe and Asia

Ecological Region
European Alps, Mediterranean

Interesting Facts

The name of the Lammergeier originates from German, in which it means "lamb-vulture". This raptor will often drop bones from a great height in order to crack them open and gain access the bone marrow inside - hence its old name of Ossifrage (or Bone Crusher).