Lammergeier

Class: Birds

Order: Accipitriformes

Family: Accipitridae

Weight: 6.2 to 10.5 kg

Height: About 1.5 m

Body length: 90 to 110 cm

Coloration: The upper part of the Lammergeier’s body is dark brown, with fairly dark wings and black speckles. It has a short black tail, and the lower part of its body varies in colors from brown to reddish-brown.

Age of sexual maturity: 4-7 years

Gestation period: 55 days

Lifespan: Up to 17 years in the wild, and up to 40 years in captivity on average

Habitat range: Lammergeiers inhabit mountainous and hilly regions of North Africa and Southern Eurasia. They can live up to 3000 meters above sea level.

Diet: Carrion

Did you know?

• Lammergeiers exclusively feed on carrion. They never attack live creatures and can survive for long periods without food.
• These predatory birds are very useful not only as scavengers but also in detecting gas leaks in pipelines, as the substance added to gas is similar in smell to carrion.
• Lammergeiers struggle to take off from flat surfaces, so they prefer slopes. Their wing beats are rare, slow, and deep, resembling scooping water.