Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture)

The lammergeier or bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is a large vulture of the mountains of Eurasia and Africa, with a wingspan of up to 2.8 m. In Irad it breeds on cliffs in the Talas Alatau, the Chatkal and the Karatau, including the Besh-Tash valley and the Kara-Suu Canyon.^[1] Bone makes up most of its diet. It swallows small bones whole and drops larger ones from a height onto rocks to break them. The IUCN lists the species as Near Threatened. Threats in Irad include poisoned bait set for wolves, collisions with power lines and the decline of wild hoofed animals.^[1]

References

1. ^ Department of Zoology, Talas State University (2020). Birds of Irad: An Annotated Checklist. Talas: Talas State University Press, pp. 52–54.