Ode to the Bearded Vulture

Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) – The Bearded Vulture Embracing the boundless expanse of the sky, we soared in spirit alongside the mighty Lammergeier, its broad wings slicing through the heavens in an eternal quest for shattered bones. We ventured far to seek this elusive monarch of the air through the Ukhahlamba—the Barrier of Spears—of the formidable Drakensberg- within the wild embrace of Giants Castle Nature Reserve. And at last, fortune smiled upon us, granting a fleeting yet profound encounter with this spectral guardian of the mountains. With bated breath, we watched in reverence as it glided silently, as a shadow, up the valley and over the Lammergeier hide.

From our concealed vantage point, we bore witness to this rare and sacred moment—an intimate glimpse into the life of a creature shrouded in mystery and legend. We laid our offering, a tribute of bones to the Vulture Gods, whispering silent prayers that they might draw this enigmatic spectre closer. Time stretched and contracted in our watchful anticipation. Then, as if summoned by the winds, he descended—tentative, wary, sensing the unseen presence of his observers. Content in the spellbinding display of his aerial mastery, his fiery red eyes piercing the landscape below, we bid farewell to the critically endangered Lammergeier.

We carried the weight of awe and solemnity in our hearts, praying for his survival in these ancient, towering sentinels he calls home. With spirits alight and souls enriched, we departed, humbled to be among the fortunate few to have gazed upon this formidable vulture.

Until destiny reunites us once more—when the mountains call- we must return.

Alex Aitkenhead

 

“Fear the vulture and the vulture will come. Fear nothing, and you are the vulture.”

Suzy Kassem

 

 

 

 

 

Our Maluti Drakensberg experience includes the Lammergeier Hide, the Rosseta Panel, San Rock Art at the Game Pass Shelter, and towering majestic peaks nestled in a sea of emerald green rolling hills.

 

BirdLife South Africa has just announced their “Flock to Marion Again” voyage for January 2025.

After the much-anticipated flock voyages, we were thrilled to participate in #FlockToMarion2022. It was undoubtedly a life-changing experience. So, we booked without hesitation when the opportunity for yet another #FlockToMarionAgain was announced.

This time, we agreed to travel with our 11-year-old son, Andreya. It was the perfect opportunity for him to learn about the Southern Ocean and the remarkable seabirds that thrive in this harsh environment. This ocean is one of the roughest, stormiest, and most unforgiving on the planet, yet pelagic birds are superbly adapted to call it home.

Departing from Durban Harbour and returning via the same route provided the chance to explore activities in and around the Durban area. The golden rule for cruising is always to arrive the day before departure.

We quickly discovered some of the most popular attractions in the greater Durban region. On our list was Isgak’s Marine Park, where we enjoyed refreshing water slides and a quick swim in the sea. The Durban Botanical Gardens and eight other fascinating locations also made our itinerary. We had hoped to visit a nesting Crowned Eagle as well.

On our return journey, our initial plan was to visit one of the nearby game reserves, such as iMfolozi or uMkhuze. However, due to time constraints, we sought an alternative destination.

One of the most iconic locations near Durban is the Drakensberg—an expanse of mountain vistas as far as the eye can see. It is home to some of the world’s most famous San rock art, including the Rosetta Panel at Kamberg. Most excitingly, it is also a habitat for the critically endangered Bearded Vulture.

Getting the rest of the family on board with this plan didn’t take much convincing. Giants Castle would serve as our base, and the Lammergeier Hide was our main drawcard, offering the best chance to witness the remarkable Bearded Vulture. We settled on three main objectives for our expedition into the mighty uKhahlamba—the Barrier of Spears that guards the Dragon Mountains of the Maluti-Drakensberg: exploring the vast open landscapes and dramatic 3,000-meter peaks, visiting world-famous San rock art sites, and observing the Lammergeier. Such is the power and allure of these mountains. What exciting times we live in—this, on the heels of our second foray into the wildest, stormiest ocean in the world, the Southern Ocean.

Armed with a few well-researched books on the Drakensberg and several YouTube videos, we began planning our new adventure.

With all preparations complete, we were packed and ready to join the BirdLife South Africa team on #FlockToMarionAgain. However, our time in Durban turned out to be a miscalculation. Our ambitious top-ten activity list was quickly reduced to just enjoying the stunning Durban Botanical Gardens and a few fun hours at Isgak’s Marine Park.

Racing to board the MSC Musica, we were the sixth-to-last passengers out of 2,000 to embark. Seven exhilarating days of pelagic birding awaited us, including a highlight—an entire day spent circling the Prince Edward and Marion Islands.

This was, without a doubt, the pinnacle of any journey into the Southern Ocean. Sub-Antarctic islands are magnets for seabirds and marine mammals. Waking up at first light and looking out over the ocean to see hundreds of birds—Wandering Albatrosses, giant petrels, penguins, and sub-Antarctic seals—was a breathtaking sight. Unlike last time, we managed to catch a glimpse of Marion Island, and what a relief it was! We stood in awe, admiring the magnificent spectacle unfolding before us.

Back on land but still swaying on our sea legs, we packed our trusty 4×4 and headed into the distant hills of the Drakensberg.

“The mountains are calling, and we must go.” These words rang in my ears as we left the hustle and bustle of the city behind us and entered the serene landscape of rural life.

Stopping for a quick stretch, we spotted Cape Griffon Vultures circling above. Intrigued, we noticed a few of them landing just out of sight. Not wanting to miss an incredible opportunity, we changed direction and sped down a dirt road, eager to see what lay ahead. To our amazement, a couple of vultures quickly turned into nearly a hundred, many feeding on the ground.

Determined to capture the moment, we carefully approached the site, blending in with the cattle. Unfortunately, our presence did not go unnoticed—the farmer promptly marched me off his property. Apologizing profusely for our intrusion, we left slightly deflated but still grateful for such a spectacular sighting.

We arrived at Giants Castle later than expected due to the shocking road conditions from Mooiriver. Roadworks made navigation with the GPS challenging. Feeling lost, we decided to ask a passing traveller for directions. By sheer coincidence, it turned out to be Professor Peter Ryan, whom we had just bid farewell to on the Flock to Marion voyage a few hours earlier! What were the odds?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along the way, Peter and his group had stopped to admire the view. As we pulled up alongside them, he excitedly pointed out two endangered Wattled Cranes—a promising omen, considering we had just seen a hundred Cape Griffon Vultures! The excitement was palpable; we sensed we were in for an authentic Drakensberg birding experience.

We paused to take in the tranquil surroundings when we entered Giants Castle Park. This place was steeped in history and legend—a mystical world far removed from the chaos of everyday life.

The anticipation was electric. After all the planning and research, we were finally here, in the heartland of the Lammergeier. At first light, we would collect the bones—an integral part of booking the vulture hide. A rugged 4×4 track would lead us up to the escarpment, where the famed Lammergeier Hide awaited. Though we had hoped to scout the route beforehand, time was not on our side. We had no choice but to tackle the steep ascent in the dark.

Checking in at rthe eception was quick and easy. Armed with our map, we lugged our gear into our chalet, our home for the next three days. We were promptly welcomed by a mischievous baboon, who brazenly raided our supplies, making off with most of our sugar and coffee. It was a fitting reminder that we were in the wild!

Eager to explore, we set off into the surrounding hills. The iconic Bushman’s River guided our way, its rushing waters providing a soothing soundtrack. However, our adventure was cut short as dark clouds gathered and thunder rumbled ominously. We beat a hasty retreat back to camp. We settled in with a sundowner on the restaurant’s viewing deck, where we were treated to a magnificent, fiery sunset over the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg.

At first light, we embarked on the steep climb to the hide. Along the way, three Black-Backed Jackals lay in the road, seemingly expecting us—vehicles on this track often bring food. As we ascended, they followed us, their sharp eyes fixed on our cargo. Sure enough, they managed to snatch a few bones before leaving us in peace.

Just after 6 a.m., Peter Ryan and his wife, Colleen, joined us in the hide. Tensions ran high as we waited, hoping for a sighting. Then came the unforgettable call: “Bearded Vulture!” We raced outside just in time to see this magnificent bird glide effortlessly overhead, oblivious to our presence. Its fiery red eyes and unmistakable black beard were visible—an unforgettable moment.

The hours passed, bringing multiple flyovers and even two landings. At one point, three Bearded Vultures circled above the hide. Witnessing this critically endangered species up close was nothing short of extraordinary.

The following day brought another highlight: a visit to the Kamberg San Rock Art Centre. From there, we hiked to the Game Pass Shelter to see some of the world’s finest San rock art. The Rosetta Panel, arguably the world’s most famous rock art piece, was finally in sight—a mesmerizing masterpiece by long-lost people who once roamed these hills.

We have promised to return to these “Barriers of Spears,” the guardians of the Maluti-Drakensberg.

Alex Aitkenhead

 

 

 

 

 

VIEWING HIDES

Viewing hides have been built at certain suitable vulture restaurants to enable researchers, volunteers, photographers and the general public to get close to these treasured birds without disturbing them.

The N3 Toll Concession, through a partnership with the Wildlands Conservation Trust, funded the development of three vulture hides, two in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park and improved facilities at the existing hide at the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. The project has added significant eco-tourism value to the respective protected areas and underwritten the ongoing development and viability of the N3TC Tourism Gateway project.

These vulture hides and feeding sites enable volunteers to get actively involved by visiting hides, monitoring and reporting work, thereby contributing to the conservation of the species. They also provide ideal facilities for ongoing monitoring of research projects.

For more information on visiting a hide, contact the following: Note that booking is essential.

Giants Castle – Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Central Reservations 033 845 1000

Golden Gate – Glen Reenen Camp 058 255 0909

Oribi Gorge – 072 893 3794

Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge (058) 713 6361

 

 

 

 

Bearded Vulture Facts

Bearded Vulture Profile

Up in the mountains of Southern Europe, India and Tibet, there is a bird with a wingspan of almost 3 meters (10ft) and a powerful, bushy neck that likes to break bones.

Legend has it they never alighted on the ground, and European hunters referred to them as “devil birds. ” However, this mysterious creature, now known as the bearded vulture, has a history of being misunderstood.

Bearded Vulture Facts Overview

Habitat: Rocky areas, cliffs and peaks

Location: Europe, Caucasus, Tibet, India

Lifespan: 40 years in captivity

Size: 115cm tall with a wingspan of up to 2.9m

Weight: Up to 7kg

Colour: Dark grey-blue, auburn with a white head

Diet: Mostly bone, some carrion meat

Predators: Humans

Top Speed: ~120 km

ph (75 mph) at high altitude

No. of Species: 1

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

 

 

 

 

 

The bearded vulture is an enormous, majestic scavenger with a peculiar diet. It mainly feeds on the bones of dead animals.

They are one of the largest birds of prey, larger than a golden eagle, and the largest bird in the Alps. They are also known as the ‘lammergeier’ or ‘ossifrage’.

They nest high up in the rocky mountains in southern Europe, Africa, the Caucasus, southern Asia, and Tibet. They are scarce, but they have been spotted as far as the Peak District in England.

Bearded vultures are monogamous and tend to lay two eggs when they breed. The smaller egg is biological insurance, as the larger chick tends to kill off its younger sibling, which is known as ‘obligate siblicide’ (and tends to occur in birds).

Legends revere it in legends all over its habitat, dating back to 500 BC and likely earlier. In many cultures, it was considered a force of positivity, but in some, it was deeply dreaded.

It’s currently listed as near threatened, and less than 10,000 birds are thought to exist worldwide. Numerous programs are in place to restore its populations to their former glory.

 

 

 

 

Bearded Vulture Facts

1. They are Europe’s most rare vulture

These huge birds were once common in Southern Europe and the Balkans. In the 1900s, due to the timeless and destructive nature of human panic, smooth-braided superstitionists all over the continent hunted them almost to extinction because of the hysterical assertion that this bird would carry off sheep and children.

Fortunately, someone with eyes eventually realized these birds do not even eat meat, let alone live animals (or children). Work has since been ongoing to reintroduce the vultures to their previous habitats. 

 

2. They rub iron-rich soil into their feathers to give a fiery appearance

Adult bearded vultures have a white coat around their neck and chest, which they purposefully paint a rusty red by bathing in pools thick with iron deposits and rubbing it into themselves.

There’s great debate about why they engage in this behaviour, which appears to be instinctive rather than learned.

Researchers have suggested it may advertise strength and give them a dominant bright orange appearance and a ‘status symbol’. Others argue it has nothing to do with appearance and that iron dioxide might help kill bacteria on their feathers. 

 

3. They have a feathery neck

This might not seem strange for a bird, but it is pretty unusual in the world of vultures.

While most vultures have bald necks due to the messy nature of the places they insert their heads when feeding, bearded vultures are not concerned by the threat of a little mess around the gills, perhaps hinting at what they eat…

 

 

 

 

4. They have some severe stomach acid

While humans have a stomach acid pH of around 1.5, these birds are much closer to a pH of around 1. This potent stomach acid gives you further clues about what it puts there. 3

 

5. Their diet is 85-90% bone marrow

If most vultures avoid blood and poop stains from their choice of food and have a much less acidic stomach, it is safe to say that their diet differs from the bearded vulture. And it does.

The latter feeds almost exclusively on bones, making it unique in vertebrates.

They can swallow and bite through brittle bones before their powerful digestive system dissolves them.

 

6. They are bone-breakers

Bearded vultures eat mostly bone but have no teeth to break them up.

Instead, if they have a bone that’s too big to swallow, they have learned to take it up to over 100 meters in the air and drop it onto the craggy rocks below.

Their alternative name, ‘ossifrage’, translates to ‘bone-breaker’.

 

7. Bearded vulture will drop tortoises from the sky

Bearded vultures will attack live prey, and tortoises are a particular favourite. They will pick up a tortoise, fly to a height, and drop it onto a rock so its shell cracks.

Other animals, such as hares, reptiles, and lizards, have also suffered the same fate.

 

8. They’re appropriately named

The taxonomic name for the Bearded vulture is Gypaetus barbatus barbatus, which directly translates to “vulture beard beard”.

 

 

9. Bearded vultures have been known to attack large animals

This includes ibex, goats and steenbok (an antelope). Some of these have resulted in deaths, as the bearded vulture has scared them off rocky cliffs.

One of their alternative names, ‘ the lammergeier,’ comes from the German word Lämmergeier, which means “lamb-catcher,” and is about the belief that they attack lambs and sheep on farms.

 

10. It’s the source of myths and legends all over history

The Iranian name for the bearded vulture is the Huma, a mythical bird symbolizing unreachable ‘highness’ in Turkey. In ancient Persia, it bestows kinship on those it flies over; in Ottoman poetry, it is described as staying afloat in the air its entire life. Other traditions grant it powers of good fortune, reincarnation and enlightenment.

In Europe, it was known as the devil bird, something which we are desperately trying to correct, in hindsight. 4

 

11. It has an asteroid named after it

The legend of the Huma inspired an asteroid naming campaign in 2014, which came up with the name 3988 Huma to label a 750m asteroid after this majestic bird. The myth states that it never touches the ground and that its appearance in the sky brings fortune.

 

12. It is more closely related to hawks than most other vultures

You may be familiar with many vultures from the family Cathartidae, including iconic American species like the California condor and king vulture.

Bearded vultures are from a separate lineage and occupy the family Accipitridae, along with the harpy eagle and the goshawks.

They share this family with the Egyptian vulture, though, so they are not lonely.

 

 

 

 

13. Bearded vultures are an umbrella species

When working hard to care for a threatened species, conservationists sometimes inadvertently help other species in the same ecosystem and the ecosystem as a whole. This means that focusing efforts on certain ‘umbrella’ species is a cost-effective and efficient way of adding net gain to a conservation location.

Reducing poisoning efforts and protecting bearded vulture habitats has led to eagle and ibex populations stabilizing in some areas,

 

14. Humans are their major threat

The threats that bearded vultures face include poisoning, lead poisoning, collisions with powerlines, and intoxication from NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen). So, where are these vultures getting their hands on our pharmaceuticals?

The use of diclofenac in livestock is widespread. This is an NSAID similar to ibuprofen that farmers use on domestic animals before slaughter. Unfortunately, the accumulation in the bones of these animals is high enough to cause high levels of toxicity in the vultures who consume them, leading to immune system issues, behaviour changes and even death.

It is thought that this drug has been responsible for the disappearance of up to 95% of three species of Old World vulture in the last two decades. Conservationists strongly emphasize the need to improve the monitoring of these effects. 5

 

 

Bearded Vulture Fact-File Summary

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Accipitriformes

Family: Accipitridae

Genus: Gypaetus

Species Name: Gypaetus Barbatus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank You, Mike, for your excellent article and account of time at the Lammergeier Hide Giants Castle, Drakensberg (See this full article below)

Bearded Vultures of the Drakensberg: Lammergeier Hide Giants Castle 

The Giant’s Castle hide was built in 1967 to help birders and photographers better appreciate vultures, especially the Bearded vulture. The remaining southern African population of Bearded vultures lives in the Maluti-Drakensberg mountains in South Africa. While you will likely see various birds from the hide, the grand prize is the Bearded vulture because of its rarity and unusualness.

“Our relationship with nature is more one of being than having. We are nature: we do not have nature.” ~ Steven Harper

According to the African Raptor Centre, there are estimated to be 100 breeding pairs and 320 birds remaining in the wild in the southern hemisphere. This makes it one of the most threatened vultures in South Africa. The decline in numbers has been caused by less food availability due to the expansion of human settlements, electrocution by overhead power lines, collisions with wind turbines, and farmers poisoning bait to kill Jackals. Bearded vulture body parts are also used for ceremonial and traditional medicine purposes.

 

The vulture hides in the Giant’s Castle Nature Reserve, on a shelf on the eastern side of the Bushman’s River River valley. The shelf, where most of the feeding occurs, expands from just more expansive than the hide itself at the northeast end, about 25 metres wide in the middle and 50 metres at the southeastern end of the shelf. One of the photographic highlights of your time in the hide will be when a Bearded vulture lands on the southeast end of the shelf.

 

If you are lucky, you may see the Bearded vulture flying in to land on the southeastern shelf. Alternatively, it may suddenly appear over the edge of the shelf. So often, it looks like it will land, only to turn away at the last moment. Every time this happens, there is great excitement in the hide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The uncertainty of how or when a raptor will come in to land on the rock shelf dictates that you must always be alert and ready to shoot photographically. Fortunately, my avid birding wife, Helen, is an excellent spotter, significantly improving my photographic hit rate.

 

Interestingly, despite its large size, the Bearded vulture seems relatively timid in front of the hide; perhaps it is just wary. On this particular occasion, the adult Bearded vulture landed at the far end of the shelf. It did not walk over to the many bones scattered on the shelf but kept looking over the edge, and after a minute or so, it took off again.

 

The adult Bearded vulture is primarily dark grey, rusty, and whitish. Its upperparts are grey-blue to grey-black. Its creamy-coloured forehead contrasts against a black band across the eyes and lores, and bristles under the chin form a black beard that gives the bird its English name. 

 

The Bearded vulture is one of the largest vultures in Africa, with a wingspan of up to 2.9 metres. It can stand up to 125 centimetres and weigh just under eight kilograms. It is the only raptor with a beard. This beard gives the vulture its scientific name, ‘Gypaetus barbatus’, which means ‘bearded vulture-eagle’. Bearded Vultures are big, shaggy-looking raptors which look more like eagles than vultures. The Ruppell’s Griffon and Lappet-faced vultures are heavier than the Bearded but have a similar wingspan.

 

It is also the only bird known to decorate itself. The plumage on the chest, neck, shoulders, and legs of the adult Bearded vulture is creamy white. This vulture stains its creamy-white legs, chest, and neck feathers a rusty red from bathing in soils or water rich in red iron oxide deposits. The reason these vultures stain their white chest, legs and neck feathers is not fully known. One theory postulated is that the colour displays their prowess. Another theory is that iron oxide provides an antibacterial effect. This vulture species cannot produce carotenoids, which are antioxidant compounds that protect cells from free radicals in the body. Many bird species acquire carotenoids through their diets, but the Bearded Vultures’ bone and marrow diet does not provide these antioxidants. Another intriguing idea is that the intensity of plumage colour of Bearded vultures with access to red soils was correlated with age: the older the adult, the more brightly coloured.

“The more we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” ~ Rachel Carson

 

 

 

 

 

Another unusual feature of the Bearded vulture is its ability to concentrate blood in the scleral ring around the eye. This is different from the carotenoids, which pigment the lores and base of the beak of the Bateleur and African Harrier-hawk. The two raptors can also concentrate blood in their lores to produce an intense red colour. Again, it is speculated that Bearded vultures evolved the large scleral ring and the pale yellow iris to convey information about the status of the individual. This signal is reinforced by staining their plumage with iron oxide, which more closely matches the species’ iris colour.

 

The scleral ring in birds consists of ossicles fixed as small plates by cartilage joints and have no articulation to other parts of the skeleton. The scleral ring is red because it is full of blood. It is thought that when a Bearded vulture is stressed or feels threatened, it forces more blood into the scleral ring, causing it to expand and turn more of the eye red. 

 

The shape of a Bearded vulture’s wing is also noteworthy. Its wing is classified as a passive soaring wing. This wing type has a low aspect ratio, meaning the ratio of the wing span to the average width is low, even though it has such large wings. Low-aspect-ratio wings generally provide more excellent manoeuvrability but at the cost of more significant drag (air resistance).

 

Air from high-pressure areas beneath the wings flows over the wingtips into the low-pressure areas above the wings, causing wingtip turbulence, which increases drag. Eagles and vultures reduce this drag problem by flying with their primary feathers extended, creating slots between them. Each primary feather serves as an individual high-aspect-ratio wing, reducing wingtip turbulence and lowering the stalling speed of the wing so that the bird can remain aloft at a slower speed.

 

 

 

 

 

The vulture’s wing loading is also low because the ratio of the bird’s weight to wing area is low. This factor allows the vulture to glide with extended wings for long periods. The large wings are more complex to flap, so the Bearded vulture lands on the edge of a cliff or rock shelf where it can dive off when it wants to get flying again. 

 

The mechanics of flapping flight become more challenging the more significant the bird because mass increases faster than length. On average, a bird twice as long as another is four times as heavy.

 

Bearded vultures are master wind riders. They use updraughts produced when the wind blows over the mountain ridges to get and stay airborne. They also gain height by tacking or flying in alternate directions at right angles to the wind’s flow direction. Many excellent sightings of Bearded vultures fly past the hide, sometimes 30 metres away at eye level. 

 

These vultures also catch thermals to gain height and are, at times, at least 400 to 500 metres above the hide. They can also fly low through the Bushman’s river valley, possibly only 30 metres above the valley floor, looking for food. 

“Wonderful how everything in wild nature fits into us as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us but on us. The rivers flow not past but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fibre and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.” ~ John Muir

 

Bearded vultures do land on large rocks near the Bushman River valley floor. They can sit on the rock for half an hour just looking around. The rock must be high enough for the Bearded vulture to dive off.

 

We spent a few days in the hide during winter, and it was, at times, very cold. One day, it snowed on the upper sections of the higher mountains. This got me thinking about how these vultures keep warm enough to fly in the freezing air for extended periods. 

 

These vultures are well-adapted to their cold mountainous hunting grounds. Their broad, stiff, overlapping contour feathers prevent the icy wind from penetrating the soft, insulating underneath. Bearded vultures spend 80% of daylight hours soaring gracefully on the wing with their bare feet tucked in their shaggy feathers to keep them warm.

 

Bearded vultures can swallow whole or bite through brittle bones as large as 25cm long and 3.5 cm wide when feeding. Their powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces of bone. Their stomach contains a strong acid (with an estimated pH of 1) capable of dissolving the digested bones in just 24 hours.

 

 

 

 

These vultures also seek the bone marrow. To access the marrow from bones too large to swallow, the Bearded vulture has to crack the bones open. To do this, they carry the sizeable intact bone to a height between 50 metres and 150 metres above the ground and then drop it onto specific flat rocks called ossuaries; this smashes the bone into smaller pieces, exposing the nutritious marrow. After dropping the large bone, the Bearded vulture descends to inspect it and may repeat the process if the bone is not sufficiently broken. Once cracked, the Bearded vulture extracts the exposed bone marrow with its rough, scoop-like tongues. The ‘dropping skill’ is learned and requires extensive practice by immature birds, which can take up to seven years to master. The energy content of this marrow diet is 15% higher than a meat diet but requires a lot more work.

 

Each day you have booked the hide, you are given a bucket of bones to put out for the Bearded vultures. There have been many days when the Bearded vultures repeatedly glided past the shelf in front of the hide where the bones are placed, and they never landed to swallow or pick up bones. The White-necked ravens were tucking into the meat and fat on the bones with relish. The passing vultures looked at and saw the bones, but they seemed happy to continue gliding back and forth along the ridge supported by the updraft. Like other Old World Vultures, the Bearded Vulture depends on sight to find its food. This contrasts many New World vultures with a highly developed sense of smell. 

 

Vultures can be divided into two age categories: New World vultures, which are from North, Central, and South America, and Old World vultures, which are from Africa, Asia, and Europe. Old World vultures have also been around longer than New World vultures. 

 

Old World vultures look like their eagle and hawk relatives. They have large, grasping talons, a voice box so they can vocalize, and build nests made of sticks on rocky platforms or in trees. They have stronger feet than the New World vultures, but they are not designed for grasping; they have large, broad wings that allow them to stay aloft for most of the day and a large, powerful beak with a hooked tip. Bearded vultures are usually silent, but when participating in a breeding display, they communicate utilizing a high-pitched whistle. I have never heard the vocalization from a Bearded vulture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bearded vulture tends to be solitary but may be seen in pairs when breeding. The female is larger than the male.

The Bearded vulture reaches sexual maturity between five and seven years of age. Interestingly, the age of the Bearded vulture until it reaches sexual maturity can be reasonably accurately estimated from the colour of its plumage, especially the head and neck. The following image shows an adult Bearded vulture flying with its juvenile.

 

The age of the juvenile to adulthood can be estimated by looking at the transformation colouration. Roberts Birds of Southern Africa illustrates the Bearded vulture’s ageing chart. The juvenile’s head, neck, and belly change colour, as do the secondary wing feathers and the wing coverts. 

The juvenile fledges about 110 to 130 days after hatching and depends on its parents for seven to 12 months of food. In its second year, the juvenile’s head is entirely black, and the first signs of a beard are growing. The breast is mottled black and brown with tinges of fawn. The scapular-shaped tail feathers are black. 

In the third year, the head shows the first signs of white on the neck and cheeks, and the eyebrow starts to whiten. The breast feathers are becoming progressively lighter and more fawn-coloured. 

In the fourth year, the lores are prominently black, the cheeks are whiter, and the forehead is becoming white. In the fifth year, the face and neck are whiter, the underwing coverts are becoming more mottled, and the secondaries remain black. 

In the fifth year, the head and neck are whitened. Further, the secondary feathers become lighter, and the underwing coverts are blacker. The upper wing coverts become more mottled black, white, and fawn-coloured.

By the sixth year, the head and neck feathers are progressively lighter and often have more iron oxide red colouring. The chest and belly feathers become progressively whiter and red oxide-coloured, and the secondary feathers are lighter.

Most people think a bird’s knee bends backwards, but what we think looks like a knee is the bird’s ankle/heel joint. The knee is hidden under feathers close to the bird’s body. Since everything under the ankle is the foot, it is easy to see a bird walking on its toes. The Bearded vulture has anisodactylous feet, meaning it has three toes pointing forward and the first one, the hallux, pointing backwards.

On our last day in the hide, we were fortunate to frequently see a juvenile Bearded vulture fly past close to the hide at eye level.

The ravens drop many bones over the edge of the feeding shelf, so the Bearded vultures fly just below the ridge, looking for the dropped bones. Looking down on the juvenile Bearded vulture, you can see the beautifully coloured upper wing coverts and its scapular-shaped tail feathers. 

After a few flypasts, the juvenile landed on a large rock shelf below the hide. This allowed me to get a close-up of the juvenile, showing the wonderful colouring of its head, neck, chest, belly, and legs. These vultures always perched on a rock shelf with a steep drop-off so that they could take off by diving off the shelf.

The intriguing aspect of being in the hide is that you have time to ponder all the adaptations and behaviours of the birds you watch. Inevitably, more questions arise, accompanied by more wonder. Over a few days in the hide, you understand the various birds’ behavioural patterns, which helps anticipate more interesting photographs. Invariably, we would get up to the hide at first light, which in winter was around 6h15. The sunshine only fell on the hide shelf around 7h30. This gave us time to set up our cameras and have a cup of hot coffee and rusk to warm up. Once the sunshine had cast light on the hidden shelf, we strategically put out some of the bones to get particular types of photographs. Within minutes of the bones being put out, the White-necked ravens and Red-winged starlings would appear and feast on the flesh and fat on the bones. The race was then on whether the ravens, starlings and Black-backed jackals would finish off the bones before one of our sought-after raptors arrived. Although we spent nine to 10 hours in the hide daily, it was fantastic, fascinating, and fun.

“The fact is that no species has ever had such wholesale control over everything on Earth, living or dead, as we now have. Whether we like it or not, that lays upon us an awesome responsibility. In our hands now lies our future and all other living creatures with whom we share the Earth.” ~ David Attenborough

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

 

Thank You, Mike, for your excellent article and account of time at the Lammergeier Hide Giants Castle, Drakensberg

 

 

 

 

Threats to these Critically Endangered Bearded Vultures:

Information Provided by Project Vulture

The primary, non-natural factors of mortality that limit or cause vulture population declines are described below.

Poisoning

Poisoning, in its various forms, is by far the most significant threat to African vulture species. There are two broad types of poisoning in the context of vultures: unintentional (secondary) poisoning, where vultures are not the intended target, and targeted poisoning, where vultures are intentionally killed.

The intentional use of poisons to kill wildlife has a long history worldwide. Both natural plant—and animal-based toxins and synthetic pesticides have been used to kill wildlife, a method that is silent, cheap, easy, and effective. Many classes of pesticides have been used to poison wildlife, including organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids.

Scavenger populations have been decimated by feeding on poisoned carcasses. Vultures, for which the primary food source is meat, soft tissue, and organs from naturally occurring carcasses, are obviously at risk. All vulture species are affected to varying degrees by unintentional (secondary) and intentional poisoning. South Asia and Africa have seen precipitous declines in vulture populations over the last 30 years due to poisoning. This has directly contributed to eight species in these regions currently listed as Critically Endangered.

Unintentional (secondary) poisoning

Unintentional poisoning occurs when vultures consume poisoned baits set out for other species or when they consume carcasses of animals that have died from poisoning.  Pollution of the environment by a range of chemicals due to spills, dumping of chemical waste and other substances that can affect their food or water source can also have an unintended impact on vultures.

Human-wildlife conflict

Farmers who experience frequent crop-raiding by elephants, buffalo, and other herbivores, and herders who lose livestock and fall prey to predators, will occasionally resort to poisoning those animals to ‘take care’ of the problem. Synthetic pesticides are poisonous to kill these ‘problem’ animals, such as lions, tigers, leopards, hyenas, and jackals.  Such use of pesticides is illegal in the vast majority of countries, but implementation and enforcement of such regulations are often weak; consequently, poisoning has become the most widely used means of killing particular wildlife species. Poisoning using baited carcasses is indiscriminate and can affect a wide range of non-target species. Poisoning often does not affect the target individual or species but kills many unintended species, including vultures.

 

 

 

 

NSAIDS and other veterinary medicines

In South Asia, unintentional poisoning by veterinary NSAIDs has caused catastrophic declines in vultures. The effects of poisoning with NSAIDs, and particularly diclofenac, have caused the most significant population declines over the shortest timeframe of any known group of birds in history.  Diclofenac was used extensively for domestic livestock, and any animals that then died within two days of treatment had highly toxic levels in the tissues that would cause kidney failure and death of any vulture feeding on the carcass. Many Gyps vulture species worldwide rely on carrion from dead domestic ungulates as their traditional wild, ungulate food sources have disappeared. This was the case over much of South Asia; after ingestion of livestock carcasses treated with diclofenac near to their death, vultures die as a result of visceral gout that is caused by kidney failure. Death of the Vulture usually occurs within two days of exposure. Specific NSAIDs that are known to be highly toxic to vultures are becoming available elsewhere and are a significant cause for concern.

There is evidence that other NSAIDs in legal veterinary use are also toxic to vultures, as well as possibly to other scavenging birds, with just one safe alternative, meloxicam, identified so far. The clearest case concerns aceclofenac, a pro-drug of diclofenac, most of which is converted to diclofenac in treated cattle soon after it is administered. Hence, aceclofenac is expected to be as toxic to Gyps vultures as diclofenac is. Ketoprofen was identified as lethal to Gyps vulture species in 2009, and residues of this drug are found in ungulate carcasses in India at sufficient concentrations to cause mortality in vultures. Other NSAIDs thought to be toxic to vultures include nimesulide, carprofen and flunixin.

Lead poisoning

The impacts of lead poisoning through the ingestion of spent lead ammunition used by hunters and wildlife managers to kill game is well known for a wide range of bird species contributing to population declines as well as creating extensive avoidable deaths and sickness amongst waterbirds and scavengers. Elevated Blood Lead Levels have been found in White-backed and Cape Vultures in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Elevated Bone Lead levels have been found in Bearded Vultures in South Africa and Lesotho. In areas where game-hunting is significant, ingesting lead fragments by vultures could have both lethal and sub-lethal effects. Elevated lead levels could harm breeding productivity, which is especially important for slow-reproducing species like vultures, the effects of which are compounded by small and rapidly declining populations. Sub-lethal lead poisoning also has several other secondary effects, such as reduced mobility or increased risk of collision.

Bioaccumulation

Whilst direct mortality from poisoning is highly visible and newsworthy, all species of African Vultures are long-lived and at a high trophic level (high up the food chain), which increases their vulnerability to bioaccumulation. While most attention has been given to the lethal impacts of toxins on vultures, bioaccumulation may have sub-lethal but significant adverse effects on reproductive success, immune response, and behaviour. However, there is no robust evidence for such effects at present.

 

 

 

 

Targeted vulture poisoning

Belief-based use and the bushmeat trade

Pesticides are increasingly used to acquire wild animals or their body parts for consumption and commercial trade. Where vultures are concerned, a major driver of this trade is Traditional Medicine, in which wildlife parts and derivatives are used to treat various physical and mental diseases or bring good fortune. Vultures are sold alongside other species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and other taxa at markets that specialise in supplying traditional medicine. The conventional medicine trade associated with belief-based use has existed for many years in some areas (especially parts of western, central and southern Africa) and is accepted as a cultural practice. However, not all of the uses for vultures have such a history: for example, those uses which supposedly increase a user’s chances of winning in recently introduced national lotteries and sports betting practices. The impact on vulture populations is becoming more apparent with the rapid growth of human populations and more effective harvesting methods (through highly toxic poisons).

The other main driver of this trade is bushmeat. Many species are sold for their meat in the same markets as those sold for traditional medicine.

Sentinel poisoning

The recent increase in the poaching of elephants has increased the mass poisoning of vultures. Vultures are deliberately poisoned by poachers who may use large quantities of toxic pesticides on elephant carcasses because circling vultures signal potential illicit activities to those who are combatting poaching; vultures are killed because they play the role of sentinels. Between 2012 and 2014, 11 poaching-related incidents in seven (predominantly southern) African countries resulted in the death of 155 elephants and 2,044 vultures. Harvesting vulture body parts (seemingly for traditional use) may have provided an additional motive in at least two incidents.  Vulture mortality associated with ivory poaching has increased more rapidly than that associated with other types of poisoning, accounting for one-third of all vulture poisonings recorded in Africa since 1970.

The scale of deaths at a single carcass can be significant, regularly exceeding 100 individuals. For example, at least 144 White-backed Vultures were killed after feeding on an elephant carcass in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe, in 2012, over 500 vultures were found dead in Bwabwata National Park, Namibia, in 2013 after feeding on a single poisoned elephant carcass, and 154 White-backed Vultures were killed in the Kruger National Park in South Africa in two incidents of feeding from poisoned elephant carcasses in 2017.

Mortality caused by power grid infrastructure

Electrocution

Bird mortality by electrocution on power poles is a global problem that has become more prevalent as energy demand increases, resulting in infrastructure growth often in previously undeveloped areas.  Electrocution associated with powerlines occurs when a bird comes into contact with two wires, one of which is live, or when it perches on a conductive pylon (for example, a metal structure) and comes into simultaneous contact with a live wire. Large species such as vultures, eagles and storks are particularly vulnerable. Electrocution risk can be significant in old, poorly designed, insulated poles and poorly sited power lines. Effective planning, design and mitigating measures can dramatically reduce the impact of energy infrastructure on avian populations.

 

 

 

 

 

Electrocution from powerlines is one of the key threats for Cape Vultures in South Africa, with data suggesting that this cause of mortality significantly contributes to low juvenile and immature survival rates. Despite this, vultures might benefit from power lines in certain situations for increased nesting, roosting sites, and nursery areas. This may allow them to expand their range, especially if suitable mitigation measures can be taken to lessen the risk of electrocution.

Collision

Each year, millions of birds die worldwide due to collisions with above-ground power lines, and the impact on populations is likely to increase as energy infrastructure continues to grow, especially in developing countries. As for electrocution, the risks can be significant in old, poorly sited power lines. Under the current commitments to reduce carbon emissions, signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are increasing their investments in renewable energy and gigantic wind farms. However, any other renewable energy installations, e.g. solar and geothermal generation facilities, will inevitably lead to an expansion of the powerline network, which will likely increase the risk of collisions and electrocutions for vultures in certain areas. Despite their acute vision, vultures’ field of view and normal head position when foraging can make them unaware of obstructions in their direction of travel so that they may be particularly vulnerable to collisions with infrastructure such as wind turbines and powerlines. The proliferation of renewable energy initiatives can, therefore, be detrimental to vultures if the location of turbines and associated infrastructure are in areas favoured by these birds.

An estimated minimum number of 80 vultures (Cape and White-backed Vultures) are killed annually by collision with powerlines in Eastern Cape Province.

 

A bearded Vulture was killed in a collision.

Decline of food availability

As obligate scavengers feed on carcasses of various sizes, vultures are susceptible to declines in the availability of carcasses, especially of ungulates, to feed on. Four main factors could reduce food (carcass) availability for vultures. First, a reduction in the number of dead livestock could result from carcasses being buried or burned or dumping sites for carcasses being closed entirely. These measures could be prompted by concerns over smell or public health campaigns to reduce the number of rotting carcasses. Second, competition for food with feral dogs and other scavengers may reduce food available to vultures. Third, reduced wild ungulate populations would diminish food availability for vultures, where these are more important than livestock. The fourth is the impact of improved animal husbandry, which results in fewer carcasses being available for vultures to feed on.

Livestock populations have increased significantly since the 1960s, and vultures would feed on livestock carcasses if local practices were to allow them to be available to scavengers. However, using domestic ungulate carcasses for food by humans, changes in practices in butchering animals, changes in livestock management and improved sanitation at slaughterhouses may offset the increased numbers of livestock as a food source for vultures, either partly or completely.  Hence, although not fully established, declines in the abundance of wild ungulates will likely have impacted vulture populations, especially where the ungulate declines have been most severe.

Provision of food at supplementary feeding sites for vultures has the potential to guarantee poison-free food. It can modify the birds’ behaviour, encouraging them to forage only in safe areas and minimising their foraging movements in areas where poisoned baits may be used.

 

 

 

 

 

Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation

The impact of habitat change on vulture populations is complex, although it is often cited as contributing to vulture declines. This may concern large-scale modification affecting food supply (considered above) or other ecological factors. More specifically, cliff or tree-nesting vultures have specific breeding site requirements, which are easily affected by human activities such as quarrying; building of tourist or leisure facilities near breeding cliffs; widening of roads and highways; logging, other forms of deforestation and clearance of large trees in agricultural areas.

Habitat loss and degradation are suspected to have contributed to the dramatic decline of large vultures. The root cause is the rapid increase and associated development in the human population and the loss of suitable habitat due to settlement expansion. Land use changes in southern Africa vary, including degradation by intensive agriculture, cultivation, urbanisation, roads, dams, mines, desertification, afforestation, and alien vegetation.

Disturbance from human activities

A wide range of human activities can cause disturbance, such as infrastructure construction, agriculture, aviation, mining, blasting and quarrying. A range of human activities close to nesting sites may impact breeding success and may cause abandonment of previously successful nests. These include livestock farming and possibly recreational activities such as mountaineering, climbing, photography and recreational aviation. A range of developments and construction could have a similar effect. Eggs and nestlings have been stolen, and vandals have attacked young birds.

Tree-nesting species are vulnerable to nest harvesting or disturbance by humans, especially outside protected areas. Cliff-nesting species suffer from disturbance, especially from climbers or aviation activities near breeding cliffs.

Climate change

Climate change affects birds differently, altering their distribution, abundance, behaviour, genetic composition, and timing of events like migration or breeding. Direct effects of climate change, such as changes in temperature and rainfall patterns, can also impact birds due to increased pressure from competitors, predators, parasites, diseases, and disturbances such as fires or storms.

Very little work has been done or published to illustrate the impact of climate change on vultures. It is, however, speculated that the species breeding at higher altitudes (Bearded and Cape Vulture) in southern Africa may experience range contractions due to increased temperatures. There are concerns that Cape Vulture breeding colonies in the north of the species’ range are at greater risk from the effects of climate change than those in the south and that areas currently containing the bulk of the breeding population may become unsuitable for breeding. The overall impact of climate change can be more severe when it occurs with other significant threats, such as habitat loss and reduced available food sources.

 

Other threats

A range of additional threats affects vulture populations throughout their ranges, but these are often more species-specific and have more localised effects than the threats discussed above. However, particularly at breeding sites, these can have locally significant impacts on productivity, the importance of which is likely to increase if vultures continue to decline and populations become more fragmented.

• Drowning – Historically, Cape Vultures were susceptible to drowning, with records of at least 120 individuals (21 incidents) being killed in small farm reservoirs in southern Africa between the early 1970s and late 1990s.
• Illegal killing, taking and trade in various forms not covered above can be directly targeted at vultures. Sometimes, this can be purely because of a dislike of or superstition against vultures and may involve poison, shooting or capture.
• Sport hunters may occasionally shoot at vultures as novel targets.
• There are also collisions (in addition to those with energy infrastructure) with aircraft, trains, and motor vehicles (especially individuals who feed on dead animals along the roads).
• Disease- the extent of this threat is unknown.
• Genetic bottlenecks—Small, isolated vulture populations could suffer a long-term reduction in genetic diversity, which could influence breeding success and their ability to adapt to global change and ultimately reduce the probability of persistence of these populations.

Information Provided by Project Vulture

(Click on this link to find out more about the excellent work “Project Vulture” is involved in, and you can donate on their site should you wish to be part of this remarkable project)

Bearded Vulture

Bearded Vulture Poem ( Brett Dix )

(for Shannon)

I salute you, Bearded One

with the rust feathers.

Bone Breaker, Bone Eater,

I hail you.

Lonely spirit of the Drakensberg,

you and your kind are vanishing.

Soon, you might become invisible,

but you will still live in my memory.

When I see you soar,

I glimpse the genius of your creator —

who made you from mud,

shaped your majestic wings and diamond tail,

who placed potent acid in your stomach

and assigned you a unique task.

Rare One of the sky, the mountains,

when your shadow falls on me,

it is a blessing.

 

Brett Dix lectures English literature at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His poetry has appeared in New Coin, Potion Poetry, and the Kalahari Review. The poem “Bearded Vulture” was written to raise awareness about this endangered species. In the Southern Hemisphere, under 400 Bearded Vultures (which inhabit the Maluti-Drakensberg mountains) are left in the wild.

 

 

 

 

 

 

History of Giants Castle Park Drakensberg:

The Giant’s Castle Game Reserve was proclaimed in 1903.
Before this time, the area was very little known. From as early as the 1850s, we hear commandos setting out in pursuit of raiding Bushmen and visiting the area of Giant’s Castle. Still, their activities centred around the country to the south of the peak, in the valleys of the Loteni and the Umkomaas, rather than to the north, the area of the present Reserve. Early maps show several bridle paths south of Giant’s Castle. There are none to the north. No doubt hunting parties often visited these mountain slopes, but they left no written record behind them. Major Grantham must have spent some time here in 186o while drawing up his military map. But there was little else.

The end of 1873 and the first six months of 1874 saw considerable activity around Giant’s Castle, which became internationally known as the time of the Langalibalele Rebellion.
For some months, a detachment of the 75th Regiment was encamped at the junction of the Bushman’s River and the stream in the Langalibalele Pass, just below the Main Caves. Their cook carved the figure 75 on a large rock outside their camp. During the first six months of 1874, John Eustace Fannin, as we have seen, was commissioned by the Government to survey the passes in the area, and Colonel Durnford was ordered to blow up these passes. Both men spent about six months in the area.
For 29 years, nothing more was heard of Giant’s Castle, and then, in 1903, the Natal Government proclaimed it as a Game Reserve. In November of that year, the first Game Warden, Sydney Barnes, pushed his way up Bushman’s River Valley to take charge of his new domain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a wild and beautiful stretch of country, twenty-five kilometres of towering peaks and remote and lonely valleys, where the only sound was the singing of the mountain streams. The winds blew fresh and sharp, the air was like the clean bite of dry wine, and the dawn came quietly over far horizons.
The original idea of the Reserve was to protect the fast-disappearing herds of eland that roamed the mountain slopes. From an estimated three to four thousand, they were now down to about 200 and would soon disappear entirely unless something was done for their protection. Initially, 12 I40 hectares were set aside, but from time to time, this was added to, and today, the Reserve stands at over 40,000 hectares. It stretches from Giant’s Castle in the south to the Old Woman Grinding Corn in the north.
And so it was that on a summer’s morning, towards the end of 1903, Ranger Sydney Barnes stood on a slight eminence and surveyed his new domain. Behind him towered the Little Berg sandstone cliffs, red, yellow, and brown, streaked with grey and black.

To his left, heaving its massive bulk into the very sky, was Giant’s Castle itself, 3 316 metres high. Two hundred metres below him, flowing firmly and steadily, was the Bushman’s River. Its faint murmur reached him in the silence of the early morning; the only other sound was the sigh of the wind in the sugar bushes. And beyond, a wild glory of tumbled mountain peaks and mysterious, untrodden valleys.
He had managed to get his wagon up as far as Witberg, the present entrance.

But the richness of the Reserve has to be seen to be believed. Altogether, 70 sites of Bushman
paintings have been discovered so far. The scenery, of course, is magnificent. In the clear air, under the sun of summer, the hills are a green carpet; in the autumn, their gold sweeps tranquilly up to the blue of distant peaks. There are hundreds of species of wildflowers, trees and ferns. The bird life is fantastic: 148 species of birds have already been identified in the Reserve. And on these rolling hills roam the eland, the oribi, the rooi and the vaalrhebuck, the blesbok, the hartebeest, the wildebeest, and on the high ledges of the mountains, the shy little klipspringer browses.

When the Reserve was first proclaimed in 1903, its main object was to provide a sanctuary for the fast-disappearing eland, one of the noblest, and indeed the largest, of South Africa’s antelopes. At one time, it was the most common antelope in Drakensberg. We know this from early hunters’ accounts and the Bushman paintings that adorn the cave walls in the sandstone cliffs of the Little Berg, where the eland is the most familiar animal depicted. But by the turn of the century, the countless thousands that roamed these mountain solitudes in peace and security were down to a meagre 200. W. Carter Robinson considered that in 1900, were only 20 left in the area of the present Reserve.

 

 

 

 

The Maloti Drakensberg:

MARTIN BENADIE: Article from (Birdlife South Africa)

The Maloti Drakensberg Transboundary World Heritage Site, which spans the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho, is one of South Africa’s most majestic landscapes.
It is also the haunt of the Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus, a species that commands the attention of all who see it. Because of its sheer size, presence, and distinctive features, it is an emblematic species for many birders.

Skin is also consumed, but it probably comprises only about 30 per cent of what the Bearded Vulture eats. Skin is predominantly taken during the breeding cycle to fulfil the nestling’s requirement for red meat.
Bearded Vultures, which pair for life, breed more than 1 800 metres above sea level; in the Maloti Drakensberg range, they nest mostly on sandstone or basalt cliffs in caves or ledges with overhangs. They construct large nests (averaging a metre in diameter) composed of branches lined with animal
remains such as skin and wool, dung, and occasionally rubbish. Breeding occurs in midwinter (from May to July), and they only raise one chick in a cycle; the second dies of starvation. The nests are re-used for many years, and even outside the breeding season, the adult birds typically roost close to their nest site.
The species is widely dispersed from
Europe, India and South and East Africa, but it is scarce in some areas and is thought to be in decline overall. The South Africa-Lesotho population belongs to the race meridionalis, which is also found in north-eastern Africa, centred on the Ethiopian Highlands. The Bearded Vulture has been uplifted to Near-Threatened (IUCN Red Data List). Still, South Africa is classified as Critically Endangered because of the small population restricted to the Maloti Drakensberg range. It is believed that a nearly 50 per cent reduction in nesting sites in the region has occurred since the 1960s.
Fortunately, concerted, ongoing conservation initiatives have helped to some degree in educating the general public, and landowners in particular, about these birds and in monitoring their numbers and movements.
Of the 25 Bearded Vultures fitted with satellite transmitters in a tracking study during the past eight years, 10 have been killed, either in powerline collisions or by poisoning (both accidental and targeted). Other reasons for the species’ dramatic decline are as a result of it being utilised
mountainous region to places in traditional ‘muti’ practices,
where it faces (mostly anthro-being deliberately shot, or fall-
pyogenic) dangers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracking data Failing victim to gin traps set for predators.
Have provided valuable insights into the behaviour of birds.
In the Maloti Drakensberg Park, Adult birds typically have a range
Bearded Vulture’s range- of about 286 square kilometres;
ten extends beyond this remote, but this reduces to 95 square
kilometres when they are breeding. The tracking study also revealed that nest abandonment and vacant territories were directly correlated to human settlement density and the incidence of powerlines encroaching on nesting sites and feeding ranges.
To halt the decline, a conservation priority has been the development of feeding sites or restaurants, often with the addition of well-placed hides for viewers and photographers.
These restaurants improve the Bearded Vulture’s access to food and supplement its decreasing natural diet of medium-sized ungulates. They allow the vultures to feed safely, with the food on offer free of agrochemicals, poisons, and potentially damaging veterinary drugs.
Seeing a Bearded Vulture is almost like being in another, older realm. I was deeply moved when one of these gentle giants drifted silently past me, gazing right at me, our eyes meeting. It is inconceivable to imagine the ‘Berg without them.

MARTIN BENADIE: Article from (Birdlife South Africa)

 

 

Wikipedia on the Bearded Vulture

The bearded vulture(Gypaetus barbatus), the lammergeier and ossifrage, is a very large bird of prey in the monotypic genus Gypaetus. The bearded vulture is the only known vertebrate whose diet consists of 70–90% bone.[3][4]

Bearded vulture

 

 

 

 

Distribution of Gypaetus barbatus

Resident

Non-breeding

Probably extinct

Extinct

Possibly extant (resident)

Extant & reintroduced (resident)

Synonyms

• Vultur barbatusLinnaeus, 1758

Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a separate minor lineage of Accipitridaetogether with the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), its closest living relative. It is not much more closely related to the Old World vultures proper than to, for example, hawks, and differs from the former by its feathered neck. Although dissimilar, the Egyptian and bearded vulture each have a lozenge-shaped tail—unusual among birds of prey. It is vernacularly known as Homa, a bird in Iranian mythology.[5]

The bearded vulture population is thought to be in decline; in 2004, it was classified on the IUCN Red List as least concern but has been listed as near threatened since 2014. It lives and breeds on crags in high mountains in Iran, southern Europe, East Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Tibet,[1] and the Caucasus. Females lay one or two eggs in mid-winter that hatch at the beginning of spring.

 

 

 

 

 

Taxonomy

 

The bearded vulture was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the vultures and condors in the genus Vultur and coined the binomial name Vultur barbatus.[6][7]Linnaeus based his account on the “bearded vulture” that had been described and illustrated in 1750 by the English naturalist George Edwards. Edwards had based his hand-coloured etching on a specimen that had been collected at Santa Cruz near the town of Oran in Algeria.[8]Linnaeus specified the type locality as Africa, but in 1914 this was restricted to Santa Cruz by the German orthithologist Ernst Hartert.[9][7] The bearded vulture is now the only species placed in the genus Gypaetus that was introduced in 1784 by the German naturalist Gottlieb Storr.[10][11] The genus name Gypaetus is from Ancient Greek gupaietos, a corrupt form of hupaietos meaning “eagle” or “vulture”. The specific epithet barbatus is Latin meaning “bearded” (from barba, “beard”).[12] The name “lammergeier” originates from the German word Lämmergeier, which means “lamb-vulture“. The name stems from the belief that it attacked lambs.[13]

Two subspecies are recognised:[11]

• G. b. barbatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (includes G. b. hemachalanus and G. b. aureus) – south Europe and northwest Africa to northeast China through the Himalayas to Nepal and west Pakistan
• G. b. meridionalis Keyserling & Blasius, JH, 1840 – southwest Arabia and northeast, east, south Africa

Description

This bearded vulture is 94–125 cm (37–49 in) long with a wingspan of 2.31–2.83 m (7 ft 7 in – 9 ft 3 in).[14] It weighs 4.5–7.8 kg (9.9–17.2 lb), with the nominate race averaging 6.21 kg (13.7 lb) and G. b. meridionalis of Africa averaging 5.7 kg (13 lb).[14] In Eurasia, vultures found around the Himalayas tend to be slightly larger than those from other mountain ranges.[14]Females are slightly larger than males.[14][15] It is essentially unmistakable with other vultures or indeed other birds in flight due to its long, narrow wings, with the wing chord measuring 71.5–91 cm (28.1–35.8 in), and long, wedge-shaped tail, which measures 42.7–52 cm (16.8–20.5 in) in length. The tail is longer than the width of the wing.[16] The tarsus is relatively small for the bird’s size, at 8.8–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in). The proportions of the species have been compared to a falcon, scaled to an enormous size.[14]

Unlike most vultures, the bearded vulture does not have a bald head. This species is relatively small-headed, although its neck is powerful and thick. It has a generally elongated, slender shape, sometimes appearing bulkier due to the often hunched back of these birds. The gait on the ground is waddling and the feet are large and powerful. The adult is mostly dark grey, rusty, and whitish in colour. It is grey-blue to grey-black above. The creamy-coloured forehead contrasts against a black band across the eyes and lores and bristles under the chin, which form a black beard that give the species its English name. Bearded vultures are variably orange or rust of plumage on their head, breast, and leg feathers, but this is thought to be cosmetic. This colouration comes from dust-bathing or rubbing iron-rich mud on its body.[17][18]They also transfer the brown colour to the eggs.[19] The tail feathers and wings are dark grey. The juveniles are dark black-brown over most of the body, with a grey-brown breast, gradually attaining more adult-like plumage over successive years; they take five to seven years to reach full maturity, with the first breeding at eight years or older.[3] The bearded vulture is silent, apart from shrill whistles in their breeding displays and a falcon-like cheek-acheek call made around the nest.[14]

 

 

 

Physiology

The acid concentration in the bearded vulture’s stomach has been estimated to be of pH about 1. Large bones are digested in about 24 hours, aided by slow mixing or churning of the stomach content. The high fat content of bone marrow makes the net energy value of bone almost as good as that of muscle, even if bone is less completely digested. A skeleton left on a mountain will dehydrate and become protected from bacterial degradation, and the bearded vulture can return to consume the remainder of a carcass even months after other animals, larvae, and bacteria have consumed the soft parts.[20]

Distribution and habitat

Wild bearded vulture in flight at Pfyn-Finges, Switzerland

A bearded vulture in the Puga Valley in Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas

The bearded vulture is sparsely distributed across a vast range. It occurs in mountainous regions in the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus region, the Zagros Mountains and Alborz Mountains in Iran, the Koh-i-Baba in Bamyan, Afghanistan, the Altai Mountains, the Himalayas, Ladakh in northern India, and western and central China.[1] In Africa, it lives in the Atlas Mountains, the Ethiopian Highlands and south from Sudan to northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, central Kenya, and northern Tanzania. An isolated population inhabits the Drakensberg in South Africa.[14] It has been reintroduced in several places in Spain, such as the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Jaén, the Province of Castellón and Asturias. The resident population as of 2018 was estimated at 1,200 to 1,500 individuals.[21]

In Israel it is locally extinct as a breeder since 1981, but young birds have been reported in 2000, 2004, and 2016.[22] The species is extinct in Romania, the last specimens from the Carpathians being shot in 1927.[23] However, unconfirmed sightings of the bearded vulture happened in the 2000s, and in 2016 a specimen from a restoration project in France also flew over the country before returning to the Alps.[24][25]

In southern Africa, the total population as of 2010 was estimated at 408 adult birds and 224 young birds of all age classes therefore giving an estimate of about 632 birds.[26]

In Ethiopia, it is common at garbage dumps tips on the outskirts of small villages and towns. Although it occasionally descends to 300–600 m (980–1,970 ft), the bearded vulture is rare below altitudes of 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and normally resides above 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in some parts of its range. It typically lives around or above the tree line which are often near the tops of the mountains, at up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in Europe, 4,500 m (14,800 ft) in Africa and 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in central Asia. In southern Armenia, it breeds below 1,000 m (3,300 ft) if cliff availability permits.[27] It has even been observed living at elevations of 7,500 m (24,600 ft) in the Himalayas and been observed flying at a height of 7,300 m (24,000 ft).[28][29]

There are two records of bearded vultures from the Alps reintroduction schemes which have reached the United Kingdom, with the first sighting taking place in 2016 in Wales and the Westcountry.[30] A series of sightings took place in 2020, when an individual bird was sighted separately over the Channel Island of Alderney after migrating north through France,[31] then in the Peak District,[32] Derbyshire, Cambridgeshire, and Lincolnshire. The bird, nicknamed ‘Vigo’ by Tim Birch of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, originated from the reintroduced population in the Alps.[33] As these two birds were both released captive birds, not wild, they have been placed in Category E (“escapes”), and not added to the formal British bird list.[34]

 

 

 

Diet and feeding

A bearded vulture flying over Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy

 

Bearded vulture on the rocks in Gran Paradiso National Park

The bearded vulture is a scavenger, feeding mostly on the remains of dead animals. Its diet comprises mammals (93%), birds (6%) and reptiles (1%), with medium-sized ungulates forming a large part of the diet.[35] It usually disdains the actual meat and typically lives on 85–90% bones including bone marrow.[36] This is the only living bird species that specializes in feeding on bones.[14] Meat and skin only makes up a small part of what the adults eat, but scraps of meat or skin makes up a larger amount of the chicks’ diet.[37] The bearded vulture can swallow whole or bite through brittle bones up to the size of a lamb’s femur[38] and its powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces. Their favoured variants of bones to consume consist of fattier and elongated bones like tarsal bones and tibias. They contain more levels of oleic acid which is highly nutritional for them compared to bones that are tinier. Smaller bones will contain less accessible bone marrow therefore being of less value. The bearded vulture has learned to crack bones too large to be swallowed by carrying them in flight to a height of 50–150 m (160–490 ft) above the ground and then dropping them onto rocks below, which smashes them into smaller pieces and exposes the nutritious marrow.[14] They can fly with bones up to 10 cm (3.9 in) in diameter and weighing over 4 kg (8.8 lb), or nearly equal to their own weight.[14]

After dropping the large bones, the bearded vulture spirals or glides down to inspect them and may repeat the act if the bone is not sufficiently cracked.[14] This learned skill requires extensive practice by immature birds and takes up to seven years to master.[39]Its old name of ossifrage(“bone breaker”) relates to this habit. Less frequently, these birds have been observed trying to break bones (usually of a medium size) by hammering them with their bill directly into rocks while perched.[14] During the breeding season they feed mainly on carrion. They prefer the limbs of sheep and other small mammals and they carry the food to the nest, unlike other vultures which feed their young by regurgitation.[35]

Bearded vultures sometimes attack live prey, with perhaps greater regularity than any other vulture.[14] Among these, tortoises seem to be especially favoured depending on their local abundance. Tortoises preyed on may be nearly as heavy as the preying vulture. To kill tortoises, bearded vultures fly with them to some height and drop them to crack open the bulky reptiles’ hard shells. Golden eagles have been observed to kill tortoises in the same way.[14] Other live animals, up to nearly their own size, have been observed to be seized predaceously and dropped in flight. Among these are rock hyraxes, hares, marmots and, in one case, a 62 cm (24 in) long monitor lizard.[14][38] Larger animals have been known to be attacked by bearded vultures, including ibex, Capra goats, chamois, and steenbok.[14]These animals have been killed by being surprised by the large birds and battered with wings until they fall off precipitous rocky edges to their deaths; although in some cases these may be accidental killings when both the vulture and the mammal surprise each other.[14] Many large animals killed by bearded vultures are unsteady young, or have appeared sickly or obviously injured.[14] Humans have been anecdotally reported to have been killed in the same way. This is unconfirmed, however, and if it does happen, most biologists who have studied the birds generally agree it would be accidental on the part of the vulture.[14] Occasionally smaller ground-dwelling birds, such as partridges and pigeons, have been reported eaten, possibly either as fresh carrion (which is usually ignored by these birds) or killed with beating wings by the vulture.[14] When foraging for bones or live prey while in flight, bearded vultures fly fairly low over the rocky ground, staying around 2–4 m (6 ft 7 in – 13 ft 1 in) high.[14]Occasionally, breeding pairs may forage and hunt together.[14] In the Ethiopian Highlands, bearded vultures have adapted to living largely off human refuse.[14]

Reproduction and life cycle

Juvenile

The bearded vulture occupies an enormous territory year-round. It may forage over 2 km2 (0.77 sq mi) each day. The breeding period is variable, being December through September in Eurasia, November to June in the Indian subcontinent, October to May in Ethiopia, throughout the year in eastern Africa, and May to January in southern Africa.[14] Although generally solitary, the bond between a breeding pair is often considerably close. Biparental monogamous care occurs in the bearded vulture.[40] In a few cases, polyandry has been recorded in the species.[14] The territorial and breeding display between bearded vultures is often spectacular, involving the showing of talons, tumbling, and spiraling while in solo flight. The large birds also regularly lock feet with each other and fall some distance through the sky with each other.[14] In Europe, the breeding pairs of bearded vultures are estimated to be 120.[41] The mean productivity of the bearded vulture is 0.43±0.28 fledgings per breeding pair per year and the breeding success averaged 0.56±0.30 fledgings per pair with clutches/year.[42]

The nest is a massive pile of sticks, that goes from around 1 m (3 ft 3 in) across and 69 cm (27 in) deep when first constructed up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) across and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) deep, with a covering of various animal matter from food, after repeated uses. The female usually lays a clutch of 1 to 2 eggs, though 3 have been recorded on rare occasions,[14] which are incubated for 53 to 60 days. After hatching, the young spend 100 to 130 days in the nest before fledging. The young may be dependent on the parents for up to 2 years, forcing the parents to nest in alternate years on a regular basis.[14] Typically, the bearded vulture nests in caves and on ledges and rock outcrops or caves on steep rock walls, so are very difficult for nest-predating mammals to access.[38] Wild bearded vultures have a mean lifespan of 21.4 years,[43] but have lived for up to at least 45 years in captivity.[44]

Threats

Boy with live bearded vulture, Kabul, Afghanistan

The bearded vulture is one of the most endangered European bird species as over the last century its abundance and breeding range have drastically declined.[45] It naturally occurs at low densities, with anywhere from a dozen to 500 pairs now being found in each mountain range in Eurasia where the species breeds. The species is most common in Ethiopia, where an estimated 1,400 to 2,200 are believed to breed.[14]Relatively large, healthy numbers seem to occur in some parts of the Himalayas as well. It was largely wiped out in Europe and, by the beginning of the 20th century, the only substantial population was in the Spanish and French Pyrenees. Since then, it has been successfully reintroduced to the Swiss and Italian Alps, from where they have spread into France.[14]They have also declined somewhat in parts of Asia and Africa, though less severely than in Europe.[14]

Many raptor species were shielded from anthropogenic influences in previously underdeveloped areas therefore they are greatly impacted as the human population rises and infrastructure increases in underdeveloped areas. The increase in human population and infrastructure results in the declines of the bearded vulture populations today. The increase of infrastructure includes the building of houses, roads, and power lines. A major issue with infrastructure and bird species populations is collision with power lines.[46]The declines of the bearded vulture populations have been documented throughout their range resulting from a decrease in habitat space, fatal collisions with energy infrastructure, reduced food availability, poisons left out for carnivores and direct persecution in the form of trophy hunting.[47]

This species is currently listed as near threatened by the IUCN Red List last accessed on 1 October 2016, and the population continues to decline.[citation needed]

 

 

 

 

 

Conservation

Mitigation plans have been established to reduce the population declines in bearded vulture populations. One of these plans includes the South African Biodiversity Management Plan that has been ratified by the government to stop the population decline in the short term. Actions that have been implemented include the mitigation of existing and proposed energy structures to prevent collision risks, the improved management of supplementary feeding sites as well to reduce the populations from being exposed to human persecution and poisoning accidents and outreach programmes that are aimed at reducing poisoning incidents.[46]

The Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture (Spanish: Fundación para la Conservación del Quebrantahuesos), established in Spain in 1995, was created in response to the national population dropping to 30 specimens by the end of the 20th century. Focused on conserving the species in the Pyrenees, it also returned the species to other already extinct areas such as the Picos de Europa in the north of the country or the Sierra de Cazorla, in the south. After 25 years of work, the Foundation reported that they had managed to recover the population, with more than 1,000 individuals throughout the country.[48][49]

Reintroduction in the Alps

Efforts to reintroduce the bearded vulture began in the 1970s in the French Alps. Zoologists Paul Geroudet and Gilbert Amigues attempted to release vultures that had been captured in Afghanistan, but this approach proved unsuccessful: it was too difficult to capture the vultures in the first place, and too many died in transport on their way to France. A second attempt was made in 1987, using a technique called “hacking”, in which young individuals (from 90 to 100 days) from zoological parks would be taken from the nest and placed in a protected area in the Alps. As they were still unable to fly at that age, the chicks were hand-fed by humans until the birds learned to fly and were able to reach food without human assistance. This method has proven more successful, with over 200 birds released in the Alps from 1987 to 2015, and a bearded vulture population has reestablished itself in the Alps.[50]

 

The bearded vulture is considered a threatened species in Iran. Iranian mythology considers the rare bearded vulture (Persian: هما; lit. ‘Homa’) the symbol of luck and happiness. It was believed that if the shadow of a Homa fell on one, he would rise to sovereignty[51] and anyone shooting the bird would die in forty days. The habit of eating bones and apparently not killing living animals was noted by Sa’di in Gulistan, written in 1258, and Emperor Jahangir had a bird’s crop examined in 1625 to find that it was filled with bones.[52]