Inhabiting remote, desolate cliffs overlooking open grasslands gives bearded vultures easy access to the remains of hunted-down prey.
Bearded vultures can be found at high elevations in rugged mountainous regions. They reside between 300 and 4,500 meters above sea level, though most frequently above 2,000 meters.
Bearded vultures often inhabit remote, desolate areas containing cliffs, crags, precipices, canyons, and gorges overlooking high alpine pastures, montane grasslands, and meadows where prey animals and their predators reside. They also reside on lightly or even heavily forested slopes, steep-sided large rocky desert valleys, and high-lying steppes.
Inhabiting such an area gives scavenging bearded vultures potential access to the remains of hunted-down prey such as ibex, mountain goat, and wild sheep from major predators like wolves and golden eagles.
Sources: (Antor, et al., 2007; Birdlife International 2017; Ferguson-Lees & Christie, 2001; Tenenzapf, 2011)
Image: Noel Reynolds
