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Bone Breaker.
To quote the narration from Guide to all the birds
of Europe CD
“If I am ever pressed to name my favourite bird
the one that comes to mind is the magnificent Lammergeier, bone breaker,
Bearded Vulture, this bird has everything impressive bulk, beautiful colours,
fascinating behaviour, unforgettable shape and on top of all that a rare
bird which you are only likely to see in the most dramatic mountain scenery,
the sight of an adult appearing suddenly out of the mist of Mount Olympus,
close enough to see its red eye is still the most heart stopping moment
I have had in bird watching”…………
When you have experienced such a sight who could disagree!
My own very first sighting of a Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) was in
the Ariege area of the French Pyrenees 15 kms from where I now live, the
experience is indelibly printed on my mind.
Prior to moving to France I had researched everything about the Flora
& Fauna of the Pyrenees, and one bird stood out from the rest the
legendary “bone breaker”
My mind was full of images of this unique raptor, with its 3-metre wingspan,
bright red eyes, okra stained breast feathers, and black moustache.
It has etched its own unique evolutionary niche by feeding on animal bones
that other vultures cannot digest. This is achieved by dropping the bones
from great heights on to specially selected boulders, which may be have
been used for generations, allowing the bone breaker to extract the marrow
and swallow the bones. This method is also employed with any hapless tortoises
it may chance upon!
Having just arrived in this spectacular mountain wilderness the temptation
to locate this impressive and illusive bird was too much; leaving behind
more important domestic responsibilities (like un –packing) I set
off on my search.
After a long trek through metre deep snow, I was rewarded with the view
from an altitude of nearly 3000 metres, and it was worth the effort alone.
The amazing cloudless, azure blue sky and massive snow covered peaks stretching
in every direction quite literally took my breath away.As if on cue, a
dark shadow framed against a nearby peak. Then once the bird cleared the
mountain back drop and rose above the horizon it was immediately identifiable.
The diamond shaped tail and huge wingspan confirmed it as my first “
Bone Breaker.” Within seconds it was joined by its mate which had
been patrolling the scree covered slopes, after several minutes they began
to display, falling from the sky several hundred feet in dramatic fashion,
grappling with the others talons in a mock dogfight. The scene was enthralling!With
their impressive size it was not difficult to believe the reports that
people have witnessed these spectacular birds physically driving chamois
off precarious mountain ledges by beating them with their strong wings
and, unlike any other vulture, creating their very own premature carrion!
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