Bearded Vulture

Zangezur National Park

A species of bird of prey belonging to the family of the Falconidae of the order of the Corydidae of the class of birds. It is found in the mountains of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus at altitudes of 700–2500 m above sea level, sometimes at 400–500 m. It is a sedentary species. Its mass is 4.5–7.5 kg, its body length is 95–125 cm, and its wingspan is 275–308 cm. There is a "beard" of stiff bristles under its chin. The swift nests in rocky caves. Nesting occurs from late December to July. It feeds on animal carcasses, mainly bone marrow. When it cannot find carcasses, it hunts rodents and birds.