Sparrowhawk, black kite or goshawk belonging to the hawk family are many well-known birds. But few people know that a rather extraordinary individual, which is called a bearded man or a lamb, is also listed on this list. Its habitat is Central Asia, Africa and the mountainous regions of Europe.
origin of name
This bird is called differently - a bearded man, a lamb, and in some countries a bone-breaker. The first of its names she received thanks to her bristly bunch of feathers. Located under the beak, it looks like a beard.
The second of the names - the lamb - the bird received due to the fact that at times she stole from the shepherds weak and defenseless lambs, when she could not find the carrion. She pounced on the animal, tearing his throat with powerful claws, and carried the prey closer to the nest. There, the bird left it for a day or two until the meat begins to deteriorate.
Its third name - a bones - a bird of prey, too, was not in vain. Her main food is carrion, but she especially likes to eat the skin and bones of dead animals. These parts of the carcass are considered a delicacy for her. In addition, she is not averse to feasting on juicy bone marrow. To get it, these birds invented an unusual way. It consists in the fact that they first fly higher, and then throw the bones down on the stones.
Description
A bearded man or a lamb are majestic birds of enormous size, belonging, as was said earlier, to the hawk family. The length of her body can vary between 95-125 cm, and one wing - 75-80 cm. Body weight is 4.5-7.5 kg.
The appearance of these birds is fascinating. The tail, back and wings are beautiful silver-gray tones. The neck, head and belly are brown or pleasing brown. Bill is bluish-gray, slightly bent down. It is so powerful that it can easily tear the skin of any animal. The eyes have a bright red border.
Lifestyle
In the daytime, bearded men or lambs are almost constantly in the sky, deftly sensing even the lightest air currents. They almost never land on flat areas, because it’s hard for them to take off. These birds prefer to sit over a cliff. So it’s easier for them to take off, because for this they only have to jump down, spread their wings and soar above the ground without much effort.
In January and February, the bearded man begins a mating season. At this time, the males will have by the way their magnificent ability to fly. In order to win the heart of their beloved, they are ready for hours to demonstrate in front of her almost aerobatics.
Yes, bearded men feed mainly on carrion, but they are not averse to catching any small animal that can swallow it all at once. Sometimes these birds catch turtles and break their shells in the same way as the bones of dead animals, thus getting to their insides.
Feathered predators hunt in a rather original way. At first they track the animal for a long time until it comes to the edge of the abyss. Then they suddenly attack him, beat them with wings and claws, while trying to throw them down. A frightened victim falls from a great height, breaking on stones, and becomes prey for a hungry bird.
Breeding
As you know, a lamb or bearded man is a monogamous bird that lives all its life with one partner. The place where she nests and hatches the chicks is also constant. These birds prefer to settle in crevices of rocks or small caves located at an altitude of 2-3 km. They build their nests from stones, thick branches and bones, and inside they spread something soft.
Their chicks are usually hatched in turn, however, the female devotes more time to this business than the male. This process can stretch for 53-58 days. Most often, the female lays one egg at a time, however, there are cases that two at a time. If this happens, then the "extra" hatched chick either dies itself or it is pecked by the parents themselves. The bearded man or the lamb, in general, does not care about the safety of their offspring. In the event of danger, he quickly flies away.
Predators bring food for their chick in their paws. Most often these are already crushed bones. Surprising is the fact that the chick can even swallow a bone 20 cm long! When he turns 3 months old, he tries to fly out of the nest. It becomes independent only when it leaves the parent nest with the onset of late autumn.
Number
The bearded or lamb population in the world is declining everywhere. Ornithologists believe that this is mainly due to lack of food and human activities. Food for them became less due to the fact that the corpses of animals began to be picked up not by scavengers, as is customary in nature, but by people. That is why their habitat has become so limited.
In captivity, bearded animals take root relatively easily, but reproduce extremely reluctantly. According to statistics, in zoos, the life expectancy of birds is no more than forty years. During this period of time, one pair can produce offspring of no more than three or four surviving chicks.