Bearded pale ale? There’s a nice ring to it
FOR a number of years now, the strangest birds have turned up in the most unusual places, but the truth is that, these visitors have probably always passed by, it’s just that more people are now watching, and of course everyone has a cameraphone for proof.
My own favourites include the bald Ibis, the stone curlew and the barn-storming Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture.
You would think with a two and half metre wingspan, sightings would be easy, but sadly not, some of the best pictures have been taken by amateurs taken aback. A bearded vulture has made quite a name for himself in Romania, by ‘hanging around’ for a few years. He’s called Adonis and a local brewer has produced a pale ale in his honour. As ‘our’ bird was spotted over Glossop this week, I’ll be dropping hints to my friends at Howard Town Brewery.
Before visiting the UK, this young Bearded Vulture wanderer was seen in other corners of Europe, before being snapped in Kenilworth, by Lucy Burrell, making it the second-ever record of a Bearded Vulture in the country. Noticeable due to its missing feathers and damaged tail.
‘Fitting that it passed by the house of the Vulture Conservation Foundation’s UK-based staff member’, said Hans Pohlmann, Vice President of the VCF, ‘ The boneeating Bearded Vulture is the rarest vulture in Europe. The Bearded Vulture conservation programme in Europe is one of the most successful wildlife comeback stories! A great project that has gathered momentum. I hope the British birders have enjoyed the views of this bird, but I hope it will return to its native soil wherever that might be.’
This is a second calendar year Bearded Vulture, meaning that it hatched in 2019. It does not have any ring or markings, suggesting it could be a wild-hatched bird. Bearded Vultures live in the mountainous regions of Europe, Asia and Africa. Perfect conditions for flying, steep walls for breeding and open landscapes to search for food. Hans continued: ‘It is normal for Bearded Vultures to travel vast distances and explore new areas. Over the years, we have observed immature Bearded Vultures dispersing from the mountains every year, usually in spring, both released and wildhatched birds.’
The Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is one of the biggest birds in Europe with a wingspan as much as 2.5 metres wide. This bird eats carrion and has the extraordinary habit of carrying animal bones hundreds of metres into the air and then dropping them on to rocks below to break open so they can eat the marrow.
Worldwide there are many species of vulture and like here in the UK, there have been increasing reports of widespread use of poison impacting wildlife across Africa. The use of poisoned bait to kill elephants has been reported with increasing frequency, both to facilitate poaching and in retaliation for cropdamage. In one recent incident, 400-600 vultures died after feeding on a poisoned elephant carcass in the vicinity of the Bwabwata National Park in Namibia’s Caprivi-region. 29 of the vultures had their heads removed, most likely for use in the traditional medicine trade. At least three of the vultures were adults, which mean that additional juvenile birds may die on their nests.