Bearded Vulture above the Caucasus

Bearded Vulture above the Caucasus is an original illustration set in Greater Caucasus, Georgia. It lies in mid-latitudes, where the climate is subarctic — long freezing winters, brief summers.

A bearded vulture glides close across a high valley with its full wingspan visible — long narrow wings, a diamond-shaped tail and a pale rust-toned body. Bare rock faces and snow-streaked ridges fall away below under clear mountain light.

Why does this vulture drop bones onto rock?

This bird lives almost entirely on bone, which it drops onto rock from height to break open — a diet nothing else exploits. The narrow wings and diamond tail are built for fast gliding along ridge lines rather than circling on thermals. It needs high mountains with cliffs to nest on and large carcasses below.

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