Vulture with 9ft wingspan filmed over Dartmoor

[wiskey]

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is the only bird of prey that lives almost entirely on the marrow from the bones of dead animals.

It can swallow bones up to the size of a lamb's femur whole, or bite through brittle bones. The bird has learned to crack bones too big to be swallowed by carrying them to a height and dropping them onto rocks below.

That's a BIG bird!

Apparently also seen over the Bristol Channel over the weekend.

First UK sighting of rare vulture on Dartmoor

 

[friedaweed]

Bird watching thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[friedaweed]

 

[StoneRoad]

I presume that one has flown off from a bird of prey collection ...

 

[ska invita]

Was posted in the bird watching thread but. It is big news...deserves its own thread...

My theory is we've had three warm unbroken weeks in the south and its followed the thermals over from Africa

First Ever sighting of such a bird...climate change business

 

[wiskey]

Bird watching thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

nah that's for your LBJ and so forth ... this is an omen!

 

[ska invita]

No joke but I genuinely thought that too when I read about it

 

[wiskey]

It's pretty terrifying tbh

 

[ska invita]

It's pretty terrifying tbh

This is what got me in to birds...look at the fucker! And it can fly! Amazing creatures...ancient animals

 

[friedaweed]

Wont somebody think of the children

 

[twentythreedom]

Amazing

 

[Treacle Toes]

Absolutely amazing but slightly UK-Centric chilling at the same time...A 9ft wing span is dinosaur bizniz by our experience here in the UK. This bird will block out the sun and create a serious shadow over you if it ever swoops at you

 

[chilango]

I was in Dartmoor this weekend

Went to a vulture reintroduction project in Southern France a few years back. Fascinating.

 

[ska invita]

Absolutely amazing but slightly UK-Centric chilling at the same time...A 9ft wing span is dinosaur bizniz by our experience here in the UK. This bird will block out the sun and create a serious shadow over you if it ever swoops at you

Big old wings allow birds like this to glide on thermals without having to move a muscle...Ive seen a pair of what mightve been sea eagles circling on thermals in scotland - so high up but still a big presence - never seen a bird that high up before - i watched them for a couple of hours i reckon - i dont think they flapped a wing in all that time

and yeah, they can see you better than you can too! they dont call it eagle eye for nothing

 

[wiskey]

Absolutely amazing but slightly UK-Centric chilling at the same time...A 9ft wing span is dinosaur bizniz by our experience here in the UK. This bird will block out the sun and create a serious shadow over you if it ever swoops at you

And then it will wait patiently for you to die so it can crunch your bones

 

[weltweit]

Not the only sighting it would seem:

 

[Treacle Toes]

I am in awe and reverence.

And then it will wait patiently for you to die so it can crunch your bones

I will need padded motorcycle gear including crash helmet so it doesnt rip my face off even though I only like to hike rather than ride innit?

 

[Treacle Toes]

Not the only sighting it would seem:

From that vid I feel I can still take it! I will err on the side of caution though and learn to shot before I venture into those areas EVER.

 

[wiskey]

I've seen storks in North Africa riding the thermals and that was pretty impressive.

How big are condors?

 

[friedaweed]

I've seen storks in North Africa riding the thermals and that was pretty impressive.

How big are condors?

They normally come in 50 gram pouches

 

[ska invita]

love the wing plumage

 

[ska invita]

Not the only sighting it would seem:

seen in devon too

 

[wiskey]

They normally come in 50 gram pouches

I'm not that old

 

[SpookyFrank]

I'm not that old

How come the condor has a shorter wingspan than the griffon vulture in feet but a longer wingspan in metres?

 

[Treacle Toes]

seen in devon too

It's a sign

 

[BigTom]

How come the condor has a shorter wingspan than the griffon vulture in feet but a longer wingspan in metres?

The crane and eagle are also both a foot shorter than the griffon vulture but the same length in metres.

 

[Gerry1time]

I for one welcome our new vulture overlords.

 

[twentythreedom]

Albatross are the kings of long distance They are amazing creatures (as are they all tbf)

Albatross - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ice-is-forming]

I did actually have a puppy stolen by an eagle once ! right in front of my eyes, from my back yard. I had ten more at the time so it wasnt too heartbreaking.

I also found a Guinea pig that had been dropped ( I presume) by a bird. Dead in the garden,perfectly round and flat, just a bag of fur with all the insides still inside .

But pelicans! I saw one fly off out to sea with a chiwawa in its beak once !!

 

[wiskey]

The pelicans here regularly upset tourists by eating pigeons at the surpentine.

Roald Dahl is entirely responsible for their nice fluffy image.