Bearded Vulture

The bearded vulture, also known as the lammergeier or ossifrage, is a large and distinctive bird of prey that inhabits mountainous regions across parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Occupying the monotypic genus Gypaetus, it represents a unique evolutionary lineage within the Accipitridae family. Unlike other vultures, this species has a feathered neck and a characteristic lozenge-shaped tail, and it is the only known vertebrate whose diet comprises predominantly bone. Once classified as a species of least concern, it has been listed as near threatened since 2014 due to population declines in parts of its range. Bearded vultures nest on remote cliffs and typically lay eggs in midwinter, with young hatching in early spring.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

The species was first formally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, who assigned it the name Vultur barbatus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. Linnaeus based his description on a specimen earlier illustrated by George Edwards, collected near Oran in Algeria. Although Linnaeus identified Africa as the type locality, this was refined in 1914 by Ernst Hartert to refer specifically to Santa Cruz.
In 1784 Gottlieb Conrad Christian Storr introduced the genus Gypaetus, in which the bearded vulture now stands alone. The name Gypaetus is derived from Ancient Greek, while the specific epithet barbatus means “bearded” in Latin, referencing the tuft of bristles beneath the bird’s chin. The vernacular German name Lammergeier—literally “lamb-vulture”—arose from the mistaken belief that the species preyed on livestock. Two subspecies are recognised: G. b. barbatus, the widespread Eurasian form, and G. b. meridionalis, found in parts of Arabia and eastern to southern Africa.

Physical Description

A striking and unmistakable bird, the bearded vulture measures roughly one metre in body length and possesses a wingspan exceeding two and a half metres. Adults typically weigh between 5 and 7 kilograms, though African birds (G. b. meridionalis) average slightly smaller and Himalayan birds slightly larger. Females are marginally heavier than males, consistent with sexual dimorphism observed in many raptors.
Its long, narrow wings and wedge-shaped tail—longer than the width of the folded wing—give the species an appearance likened to an oversized falcon. Unlike most vultures, it has a fully feathered head, and its slender form is accentuated by an often hunched posture. Adults exhibit grey-blue to grey-black upperparts and pale foreheads contrasted with dark mask-like facial markings and the distinctive black “beard”. The underparts vary from cream to deep rust, a colouration produced by deliberate dust-bathing in iron-rich soils rather than by pigmentation. Juveniles are much darker and take up to seven years to attain full adult plumage, usually breeding only from eight years of age.

Physiology and Feeding Ecology

The bearded vulture’s diet is exceptional among vertebrates: approximately 70–90 per cent of its food consists of bone. The species has an extremely acidic stomach, with a pH estimated around 1, enabling it to dissolve large bones within twenty-four hours. Bone marrow offers a significant caloric yield, making bones almost as nutritious as muscle tissue.
To feed on bones too large to swallow whole, bearded vultures carry them aloft and drop them onto designated rocky platforms to shatter them—a behaviour known as “ossuary” use. As bones desiccate and resist decomposition, the species can return to carcass sites months after other scavengers have departed, consuming resources unavailable to most predators.

Distribution and Habitat

The bearded vulture has an extensive but scattered distribution throughout mountainous regions. In Europe it is found in the Pyrenees, Alps and the Caucasus; in Asia it inhabits the Zagros and Alborz ranges in Iran, the Altai Mountains, the Himalayas, Ladakh, and parts of central and western China. In Africa it occurs from the Atlas Mountains through the Ethiopian Highlands to eastern and southern Africa, including the Drakensberg and Maloti ranges.
Reintroduction projects in Spain and the Alps have restored populations where the species had previously disappeared. Although extinct as a breeding bird in Israel and Romania, occasional individuals from reintroduced populations have wandered into these regions, with some birds even recorded in the United Kingdom after crossing the English Channel.
Bearded vultures generally live above the tree line, favouring remote, rugged landscapes with cliffs, canyons and precipices that offer secure nesting sites. They rarely inhabit low altitudes and can occur at elevations exceeding 7,000 metres in the Himalayas. In southern Africa they persist mainly in high-altitude plateaus and escarpments, particularly in Lesotho and the Drakensberg.

Behaviour and Ecology

The species is typically associated with sparsely populated alpine or montane environments where large predators—such as wolves or golden eagles—provide a steady supply of bones. Adults select nesting sites on steep cliffs and show strong fidelity to breeding territories. Although usually silent, they produce sharp whistles during courtship and a falcon-like chee-ka-chee-ka call around the nest.
In Africa during the late twentieth century, numbers declined due to poisoning, habitat alteration and reduced availability of carrion. Despite this, the species’ overall range remained stable. Contemporary population estimates vary by region: southern Africa hosts roughly 600 individuals, while Europe, Asia and the Middle East contain the majority of the global population.

Conservation Status and Threats

Classified as near threatened, the bearded vulture faces pressures from habitat disturbance, ingestion of poisoned or lead-contaminated carcasses, and collisions with power lines. Human encroachment into upland habitats and declines in wild ungulate populations can also reduce food availability. Conservation programmes have focused on limiting poison use, protecting nesting sites, improving carcass availability through managed feeding areas, and supporting captive-breeding and reintroduction initiatives.