Bearded vulture
Gypaetus barbatus
Overview
Bearded vulture in Georgia
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is found in Georgia year-round and breeds here. The map on this page confirms its distribution in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo–Zemo Svaneti and Kvemo Kartli. There are only isolated records from Imereti and Shida Kartli, and these regions are not counted as part of its range. Observations made in Kazbegi in 2023 confirmed that it breeds in Mtskheta-Mtianeti. The same report also records it in Vashlovani, though breeding there has not been confirmed. This large bird lives in rocky valleys and feeds on the remains of dead animals, mainly bones. Its wingspan is 2.3–2.9 metres. In flight, its long tail, which narrows toward the tip, sets it apart. Adults have a black “beard” below the beak. Georgia’s Red List places it among species threatened with extinction in the country. A global assessment cited in a 2024 Georgian list places it close to being threatened with extinction.
Identification
How to identify Bearded vulture
This large bird has a long tail that narrows toward the tip and relatively narrow wings. Adults have a black “beard,” and their head and chest are often rust-colored. Young birds are darker.
An adult bird’s wings and tail are dark from above, while its head and chest are often orange from below. The rust-colored tint comes from bathing in iron-rich water and varies. Black feathers like brush bristles form a “beard” under the beak. There is a red ring around the eye.
A young bearded vulture is mostly dark and has broader wings than an adult. At any age, it has a long tail that narrows towards the tip. The distance between its wingtips when its wings are spread is about 2.3–2.9 metres.
From a distance, a flying griffon vulture can be mistaken for a bearded vulture. The griffon has broader wings and a short, almost straight tail. An adult has a pale body and dark feathers visible in flight; a young griffon is darker. A dark young bearded vulture may look like a golden eagle. A young eagle has broader wings and a relatively short tail that spreads like a fan. The base of its tail is white, and white patches may also be visible on its wings. To tell the bearded vulture from either bird, look for its long tail, which narrows toward the tip.
Gallery
Bearded vulture in photos
Distribution
Habitat and range
In Georgia, bearded vultures have been confirmed nesting in Kazbegi National Park and on nearby cliffs in Mtskheta-Mtianeti. Four nests were counted there in 2023, apparently belonging to three pairs. One nest contained a chick. These figures describe that area alone, not the whole country. The map on this page shows only the five regions where the table confirms the bird’s presence: Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo–Zemo Svaneti and Kvemo Kartli. A bearded vulture was seen at an elevation of 400 m in the Vashlovani Protected Areas in Kakheti, but that record does not confirm nesting there. Bearded vultures live in rocky mountain valleys and on open, stony slopes. Among records of the bird in Georgia, the highest elevation listed is 4500 m in the Greater Caucasus. This does not mean it nests at that height.
Where bearded vulture distribution is confirmed in Georgia
132 field records · 2009–2026 · 7 regions
The bearded vulture map uses public iNaturalist observations from Georgia. Regions come from the records-by-region table: only a confirmed status counts as distribution; other regions have records only. Record counts reflect observation effort, not population density.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
Records by region
Biology
Diet, behavior, and conservation
Diet
Most of its food is bones. It swallows small bones whole and drops large ones onto rocks to break them. It eats and digests bone fragments as well as marrow. It also eats the soft parts of carcasses. Despite its name, live lambs are not its usual food. This allows it to eat parts of carcasses that other animals feeding on them often leave behind.
Behavior
According to 2024 data, it nests in Georgia and stays here year-round. Adults generally remain in the same area, while some young birds travel far. It nests on a rock ledge or in a crack in the rock. It lays one or two eggs. If chicks hatch from both eggs, the older chick attacks the younger one, so usually only one survives.
Conservation
Georgia’s 2014 government Red List classifies the bearded vulture as vulnerable because its population is small. A 2024 list of birds gives it an NT rating both in Georgia and worldwide. The two assessments for Georgia differ. The 2024 assessment does not automatically change the 2014 legal listing. Observations in Kazbegi suggest that tourism and stone extraction near nests may disturb bearded vultures.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Bearded vulture.
Yes. According to 2024 records, this bird lives in the area year-round and nests. Nesting was also confirmed in Kazbegi.
The species has been confirmed in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kakheti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Kvemo Kartli. There are only isolated records from Imereti and Shida Kartli. Observations in 2023 confirmed that it nested in Kazbegi. The species was also recorded in Vashlovani, but nesting there was not confirmed.
The bearded vulture has a long, wedge-shaped tail and relatively narrow wings. The griffon vulture has a shorter tail and broader wings. Young bearded vultures are darker than adults.
The general size range for this species is about 2.3–2.9 metres.
It feeds mainly on the bones of dead animals. It swallows small bones, but throws larger ones onto rocks and eats the fragments.
It nests in Georgia and stays here year-round. Watch the bird and its nest from a distance.
It is listed in Georgia’s 2014 Red List under the VU category. A 2024 scientific list gives it the NT category both for Georgia and worldwide. This does not change its official listing in Georgia’s Red List.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Budagashvili & Javakhishvili 2024 — The birds of Georgia, Sandgrouse 46
- Javakhishvili, Melikishvili & Balkhamishvili 2023 — Kazbegi vulture monitoring
- Vulture Conservation Foundation — Bearded Vulture, კვება და გამრავლება
- Margalida et al. 2010 — Bearded Vulture-ის ბარტყებს შორის აგრესია
- საქართველოს მთავრობის დადგენილება №190 (2014) — საქართველოს წითელი ნუსხა
- ქართული ენციკლოპედია — ბატკანძერი
- Avibase — Gypaetus barbatus, მრავალენოვანი სახელები
- Stiftung Pro Bartgeier — ბატკანძერის შედარება ორბსა და მთის არწივთან
- Vulture Conservation Foundation — Griffon Vulture, საველე ნიშნები
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — Golden Eagle, ასაკობრივი ნიშნები და ფოტოები
- SAVE — Birds of Prey of the Indian Sub-continent, სვავისა და ბატკანძერის საიდენტიფიკაციო ტაბულა
- საქართველოს დაცული ტერიტორიების სააგენტო — ვაშლოვანის დაცული ტერიტორიები
- Georgia Travel — მცხეთა-მთიანეთი და ყაზბეგი
- xeno-canto XC937988 — Gypaetus barbatus (Thomas SIGNEAU, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Aegypius monachus
Cinereous vulture
Year-round resident and migrant in Georgia
Accipiter gentilis
Eurasian goshawk
Year-round resident, migrant and winter visitor in Georgia
Accipiter nisus
Eurasian sparrowhawk
Year-round resident and migrant in Georgia
Buteo buteo
Common buzzard
Year-round resident, migrant and winter visitor in Georgia