Bearded vultures are strictly carnivorous but have a unique diet consisting mainly of bones and carrion, with bones making up 85%.
Bearded vultures are strictly carnivorous but have a unique diet consisting mainly of bones and carrion, with bones making up 85% of their diet.
Like many other vultures they are scavengers, preying on the carcasses of dead animals. Once they locate a carcass, bearded vultures often wait for other meat-eating scavengers to pick the bones clean before feeding. They are generally unwilling to compete with other vultures at carcasses and will wait patiently to feed, scavenging older carcasses if fresh meat is scarce.
They are also known to scavenge in rubbish dumps, especially in urban areas in Ethiopia.
Sources: (BirdLife International, 2017; Ferguson-Lees & Christie, 2001; Margalida, 2008; Margalida, et al., 2009; Tenenzapf, 2011)
Image: Jayhem
