Bearded Vulture
Gypaetus barbatus
Characteristics
- Origin
Northwestern, eastern and southern Africa; southwestern, southern and central Europe (the Alps); Asia
- Habitat
Mountains and plateaus between 300 and 4,500 metres above sea level
- Diet
Bearded vultures eat bones and carrion.
- Status
near threatened; decreasing
- Size
94 – 120 cm
- Weight
approx. 5 kg
- Breeding period
55 days
- Achievable age
up to 40 years in the wild, up to 50 years in human care
Threat Categories of IUCN
Did you know that ...
...bearded vultures have a wingspan of up to 2.9 metres,
...they can glide for hours on thermal air currents without needing to beat their wings
...and like other scavengers, bearded vultures are nature’s own waste-disposal team and serve an important
function for the local ecosystem?
