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Answer: Twenty-eight days
Answer: The Bearded Eagle/vulture.
Life Span
21-45 years
The Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is a very large bird of prey and the only member of the genus Gypaetus. The Bearded vulture is the only known vertebrate whose diet consists almost exclusively (70 to 90 percent) of bone. It doesn’t migrate and lives and breeds on crags in high mountains.
Bearded vultures are sedentary and occupy an enormous territory year-round. They live in pairs but outside of the breeding season prefer to spend their time singly. These birds are active during the day soaring for many hours in search of food. They may forage over two square kilometers each day.
When feeding Bearded vultures can swallow whole or bite through brittle bones up to the size of a lamb's femur and their powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces. Since they favor bone marrow, these birds have learned to crack bones too large to be swallowed by carrying them in flight to a height of 160-490 ft. above the ground and then dropping them onto rocks below; this smashes them into smaller pieces and exposes the nutritious marrow. They can fly with bones up to 3.9 in. in diameter and weigh over 8.8 lb, or nearly equal to their own weight. After dropping the large bones, the Bearded vulture spirals or glides down to inspect them and may repeat the act if the bone is not sufficiently cracked. This learned skill requires extensive practice by immature birds and takes up to 7 years to master.
Less frequently, these birds may break bones (usually of medium size) by hammering them with their bill directly into rocks while perched.
Bearded vultures are scavengers, feeding mostly on the remains of dead animals including mammals, birds, and reptiles. They usually disdain the actual meat and eat only bone marrow. During the breeding season, however, they feed mainly on carrion.
The territorial and breeding display between Bearded vultures is spectacular. It involves the showing of talons, tumbling, and spiraling while in solo flight. The large birds also regularly lock feet with each other and fall some distance through the sky with each other.
Pairs usually nest in caves and on ledges and rock outcrops or caves on steep rock walls. The nest is a massive pile of sticks with a covering of various animal matter from food, after repeated uses. The female usually lays a clutch of 1 to 2 eggs (rarely 3) which are incubated for 53 to 60 days. The chicks hatch helpless and rely on their parents for food, warmth, and protection. They spend 100 to 130 days in the nest before fledging and may be dependent on their parents for up to 2 years. It usually takes them 5 years to reach full maturity.
The Bearded vulture is one of the most endangered European bird species.
The scientific name of the Bearded vulture means "bearded vulture-eagle".
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