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.
Bearded vulture
Gypaetus barbatus
Listen to the voice
Andreas Richter · KazbegiGeorgia field photo
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is a year-round breeding bird in Georgia. The map table shows records in Mtskheta–Mtianeti, Kakheti, Samtskhe–Javakheti, Samegrelo–Zemo Svaneti, and Kvemo Kartli.
Key facts in one look
- Status in Georgia
- Year-round breeding resident
- Wingspan
- 2.3–2.9 m
- Diet
- Mainly bones
- Regions shaded on the map
- Mtskheta–Mtianeti; Kakheti; Samtskhe–Javakheti; Samegrelo–Zemo Svaneti; Kvemo Kartli
- Conservation
- Georgia VU; global NT
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is found in Georgia year-round and breeds here. The map on this page shows records 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
Bearded vulture: how to identify it
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.
Often confused with
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 has enough records: 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.
Recorded (photo observations)field records
Too few records · 2
The bearded vulture map uses public iNaturalist observations from Georgia. Regions come from the records-by-region table: only regions with enough records are shaded on the map; other regions have too few records. Record counts reflect observation effort, not population density.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
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- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
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.
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.
Boaz Barness · Akhmeta
Giorgi Natsvlishvili · Kazbegi
Alexander Abuladze · Kartsakhi
Andreas Richter · Kazbegi
Boaz Barness · Giorgi Natsvlishvili · Alexander Abuladze · Andreas Richter · Nikita Tiunov · elenailina · Kenny Well
Related guides
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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 recorded 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
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
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