Turkey Vulture Gallery

Bearded Vulture / Lammergeier - with carcass bone in beak

CAN-2963
Bearded Vulture / Lammergeier - with carcass bone in beak
Spain
Gypaetus barbatus
10 foot maximum wing-span. Only bone-eating specialist bird in the world - Found in Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Africa. Rare and declining in many areas. Recently reintroduced in the Alps. Adults feed on the bones of carcusses which they will often drop on flat rocks from the air to break them into smaller more easily swallowed pieces. Primarily high mountain dwellers, nests in caves and remote rocky cliffs and often engage in polyandry. Reddish color of adults comes from bathing in iron-rich springs and may confer status.
John Cancalosi
Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

© John Cancalosi/ardea.com

BIO21733

Turkey vultures
Cathartes aura
feeding on carcass of stranded Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California); Mexico

© BIOS /AUSCAPE All rights reserved

America, American, Birds Of Prey, Buzzards, New World, Sense Of

LAMMERGEIER / BEARDED VULTURE - feeding on carrion

CAN-2967
Bearded Vulture / Lammergeier - feeding on carcass
Spain
Gypaetus barbatus
10 foot maximum wing-span. Only bone-eating specialist bird in the world - Found in Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Africa. Rare and declining in many areas. Recently reintroduced in the Alps. Adults feed on the bones of carcusses which they will often drop on flat rocks from the air to break them into smaller more easily swallowed pieces. Primarily high mountain dwellers, nests in caves and remote rocky cliffs and often engage in polyandry. Reddish color of adults comes from bathing in iron-rich springs and may confer status.
John Cancalosi
Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

© Ardea - All Rights Reserved