What is "bearded vulture"

Lammergeir \Lam"mer*geir\ (l[a^]m"m[~e]r*g[imac]r), Lammergeier \Lam"mer*gei`er\, lammergeyer \lam"mer*gey`er\ (l[a^]m"m[~e]r*g[imac]`[~e]r), n. [G. l["a]mmergeier; lamm, pl. l["a]mmer, lamb + geier vulture.] (Zo["o]l.) A very large vulture ( Gypa["e]tus barbatus), which inhabits the mountains of Southern Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. When full-grown it is nine or ten feet in extent of wings. It is brownish black above, with the under parts and neck rusty yellow; the forehead and crown white; the sides of the head and beard black. It feeds partly on carrion and partly on small animals, which it kills. It has the habit of carrying tortoises and marrow bones to a great height, and dropping them on stones to obtain the contents, and is therefore called bonebreaker and ossifrage. It is supposed to be the ossifrage of the Bible. Called also bearded vulture and bearded eagle.

n. a long-winged vulture, ''Gypaetus barbatus'', found in southern Europe, Africa and India.

n. the largest Eurasian bird of prey; having black feathers hanging around the bill [syn: lammergeier, lammergeyer, Gypaetus barbatus]

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), also known as the lammergeier or ossifrage, is a bird of prey and the only member of the genus Gypaetus. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a minor lineage of Accipitridae together with the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), its closest living relative. It is not much more closely related to the Old World vultures proper than to, for example, hawks, and differs from the former by its feathered neck. Although dissimilar, the Egyptian and bearded vulture each have a lozenge-shaped tail — unusual among birds of prey. In July 2014, the IUCN Red List has reassesed this species to be near threatened. Before July 2014, it was actually classed as Least Concern. Their population trend is decreasing.

The bearded vulture eats mainly carrion and lives and breeds on crags in high mountains in southern Europe, the Caucasus, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Tibet, laying one or two eggs in mid-winter that hatch at the beginning of spring. Populations are resident.