The Bearded Vulture: The Strange Bird Of Prey That Throws Objects
Among the various species of birds of prey, there is one that stands out particularly from the others. Let’s discover together the characteristics of the bearded vulture, a bird that has a special position within the group of birds of prey.
This curious bird is found in several countries in Europe, although most of the specimens are found in the Pyrenees and Sierra de Cazorla, where the Bearded Vulture Conservation Foundation is currently reintroducing it. Let’s find out the characteristics of the bearded vulture together.
Characteristics of the bearded vulture: a peculiar name
One of the biggest characteristics of the bearded vulture is its name. In fact, the bearded vulture is also called “bearded vulture” or “lamb vulture”, due to its diet, one of the strangest in the animal kingdom. In addition, the bearded vulture has a rather strange habit: it drops the bones from the rocks so that they break.
The bearded vulture is a necrophagous bird that feeds mainly on carcasses and bones, which is able to swallow directly and feed on its marrow. However, the bones must be broken, so he drops them off the rocks.
The scientific name seems to indicate that this animal is a relative of the vulture and other raptors: eagles. Another curiosity of the bearded vulture is that it possesses great skills in flight. In fact, it spends a lot of time flying compared to most vultures.
In addition, its flight does not depend on thermal currents, so it is common to see it perform maneuvers and twists in the air common in eagles. These birds are particularly aggressive and adept when attacking in the air. Think that they often steal prey from other birds that enter their territory.
The complicated pairing process
Bearded vultures are animals that spend a lot of time raising their chicks: a year can pass from the brood to the end of the breeding process, to which must be added the time necessary to emancipate the chicks. The chicks can be one or two.
Each pair of bearded vultures lives in an area with several nests to fly over and which are usually found in mountain caves. Thanks to these controls, the bearded vultures keep their nests clean.
As mentioned above, the bearded vulture is a necrophagous bird. However it is the last to appear during the carrion feasts of the vultures, because the griffins and the black vultures will leave only the bones, as they cannot feed on them. Let’s find out the characteristics of the bearded vulture together.
Why is the bearded vulture orange?
Probably, the biggest feature of the bearded vulture is its appearance: the black face and piercing eyes are particularly striking, in addition to the body, which resembles that of a vulture, but much larger.
But the most impressive is the bright orange color of the plumage of the older specimens. Young bearded vultures are almost black and as adults have predominantly white plumage on the chest. However, as they age, many of these animals turn orange in color.
This characteristic is explained by a unique behavior: the bearded vulture bathes in reddish waters that contain limestone or iron, for this reason it turns orange. The goal of this behavior is not known with certainty. Either way, it doesn’t look like a predator of that size needs to blend in.
What is certain is that it is the oldest specimens, and in particular the females, that are the most orange. Hence, it is believed that this coloring may be related to status and reproduction.
In fact, it has been observed that bearded vultures have a certain preference for red, which is also found in their eyes. So, probably the intention could be to reinforce this color for gender dominance issues.
A bearded vulture murdered Aeschylus
Another curiosity of the bearded vulture is how this animal ended the life of Aeschylus, considered one of the founders of the Greek tragedy and who lived more than 2,500 years ago.
Aeschylus, worried about his future, went to the oracle of Delphi to find out about his fate. The oracle’s prophecy told him that he would die crushed by a house, so Aeschylus is said to have walked away from the city.
However, the prophecy could still be fulfilled, in an ironic way: a bearded vulture, interested in breaking the shell of a turtle, dropped it on the slopes where Aeschylus lived and it fell on his head, killing him.
Conclusions
As we have seen, the bearded vulture is a bird between myth and reality that has intrigued and impressed the human being for its peculiar behaviors and unique characteristics.
Unfortunately, like many other birds, it is at risk of extinction. Although the number of specimens has increased recently, it is a bird threatened by the poisons of fertilizers. Furthermore, its feeding depends entirely on livestock.
Therefore, many conservation projects are focusing on the protection of livestock to protect the bearded vulture in turn. In some areas of the Pyrenees, restaurants and shops sell meat that encourages a better diet for the environment and benefits farmers. These then leave the animal carcasses on the land for this bird, so as not to damage the food chain.
