The bearded vulture: notes on its biology

Abstract

The bearded vulture: notes on its biology. The bearded vulture is an osteophagus species listed as threatened of extinction in Spain. It wingspan reaches 3 metres, and it weights up to 6 kg. Its plumage experiments notable changes between the juvenile and the adult stages. It selects rough rocky areas with slope-winds which are essential for foraging. Its specialized diet allows it to feed on those bones discarded by other vulture species. The bones are directly swallowed or crashed against rocky slopes in the so called dropping-sites. It nests in big caves and its reproductive cycle lasts 6 months. The clutch is composed by a maximum of two eggs. Because of cainism, only one nestling
will  fledge.  Since  the  19th  Century,  the  species  has  suffered  a  worldwide  negative  trend  that  also  affected  the  Spanish  population. Nowadays the Pyrenean is the only viable population in Europe . The main threats at the present time are the poison baits, the collisions and electrocution in the power lines and the habitat loss. In the last two decades, the conservation efforts have permitted to stabilize and to recover the population in Pyrenees. Currently, the works are orientated towards the spreading out of this population to another mountainous areas, through natural re-colonization and re-introduction projects.