LAMMERGEIER

also spelled Lammergeyer, or Lammergeir (German: lamb vulture), also called Bearded Vulture (species Gypaetus barbatus), big eaglelike vulture of the Old World (family Accipitridae), frequently over 1 m (40 inches) long, with a wingspread of nearly 3 m (10 feet). Brown above and tawny below, the lammergeier has spots on the breast, black and white stripes on the head, and long bristles on the chin. Eaglelike features are the feathered face and legs, curved beak, strongly prehensile feet, and long curved claws. The lammergeier inhabits mountainous regions from Central Asia and eastern Africa to Spain. It usually nests on ledges of cliffs, laying one or two whitish eggs about 10 cm (4 inches) in length. It feeds on carrion, especially bones, which it drops from heights as great as 260 feet (80 m) onto flat rocks below. The bird thereby obtains access to the marrow of the bones that have broken.