Young bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) flying. This juvenile has yet to develop the white head and lighter underside plumage of an adult. This vulture is a specialised,solitary scavenger that feeds almost exclusively on bone. It will patrol a large mountain territory,looking for the skeleton of a carcass. Small bones are digested whole. Larger bones are dropped from a height to break them open,exposing the bone marrow. This vulture has strong gastric juices that enable it to digest bone. The bearded vulture,found in Europe,Asia and Africa,is endangered in parts of its range. Photographed in Giant's Castle Game Reserve,South Africa | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Chadwick, Peter |
Bildgröße: | 5038 px × 3489 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |