Bearded vulture
The "heraldic animal" of the Alpine Zoo is the largest bird in the Alps. Although the bearded vulture is a harmless scavenger and specialises in bone food, it was nevertheless mercilessly persecuted in the 19th century as a "wild beast". Horror stories about a child-stealing, lamb-killing bird forced and ultimately led to the extinction of the bird of prey in the Alps. The last bearded vulture was shot in the Aosta Valley in Italy in 1913. Thanks to the breeding of over 30 young birds by the Alpine Zoo since 1973, the Alpine-wide reintroduction project was able to begin. Bearded vultures were released for the first time in 1986 and the first free-range brood took place in 1997. The population in the Alps is now estimated at around 220 birds. It is remarkable that bearded vultures "make themselves up" by colouring their actually white breast plumage copper-red when bathing in mud containing iron oxide. The eggs are laid in the winter months of December to January, so that the young birds hatch when the late winter claims the first avalanche victims in chamois and ibex.
- Bearded vultures like to style themselves - the red colouring on their chest comes from bathing in baths containing iron oxide. We still don't know exactly why they do this - it could be to protect themselves against parasites or as a status symbol - dominant females in particular like to bathe in these baths very often.
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Gypaetus barbatus
AGE
- up to 40 years
FOOD
- Carrion
FINE
- only the human being
WEIGHT
- up to 4 to 7 kg
Wingspan: 250 - 295 cm
