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What the sources say

Bearded VultureGypaetus barbatus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Bearded Vulture profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 54 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

The Peregrine Fund

Bearded Vulture. The Peregrine Fund.

The page saysOne of the few vertebrates that lives mostly on bone
The source saysone of the few, if only vertebrate, whose diet consists largely of bones and bone marrow
The page saysits body runs 94 to 125 cm (37 to 49 in) long, its wings span 231 to 283 cm (7.6 to 9.3 ft), and it weighs 4.5 to 7.1 kg (9.9 to 15.6 lb)
The source saysBody length: 94–125 cm (37-49 in) / Wingspan: 231–283 cm (91-111 in) / Weight: 4500–7100 g (158-250 oz)Note: 91-111 in converted to 7.6-9.3 ft; 4500-7100 g converted to 4.5-7.1 kg; 158-250 oz converted to 9.9-15.6 lb
The page saysIts German name, "Lammergeier," means "sheep vulture,"
The source saysThe Bearded Vulture is also known as Lammergeier. However, Lammergeier means "sheep vulture" in German
The page saysunlike most vultures, its head is feathered
The source saysThough most vultures have featherless heads, the Bearded Vulture does not!
The page saysUp to 90 percent of its diet is bone
The source saysup to 90% of its diet is made up of bones
The page saysA bone too large to swallow
The source saysIf they find a bone that is too large, they will carry it high up into the sky and drop it onto rocks below. This helps break up the bones into smaller, ingestible pieces.
The page saysResearchers have seen them drop turtles onto rocks to kill and eat them
The source saysResearchers have also observed Bearded Vultures carrying turtles into the air and dropping them onto rocks to kill and eat them
The page saysturtles, dropped onto rocks
The source saysResearchers have also observed Bearded Vultures carrying turtles into the air and dropping them onto rocks to kill and eat them.
The page saysup to 90% of its diet
The source saysup to 90% of its diet is made up of bones
The page saysIt had died out in the Alps by the start of the 20th century, and The Peregrine Fund describes the reintroduction programs since then as successful
The source saysthe population of Bearded Vulture in the Alps was completely extinct by the beginning of the 20th century. However, since then, people and organizations, such as the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture, have been working hard to conserve this vulture and have engaged in reintroduction programs that have been successful
The page saysThe bearded vulture (*Gypaetus barbatus*) eats bones.
The source saysup to 90% of its diet is made up of bones.

Source
02

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources

AnAge entry for Gypaetus barbatus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

The page saysThe oldest on record lived 40 years in captivity
The source saysThe maximum lifespan recorded for these animals is 40 years, when in captivity
The page sayssouthern African records report wild birds reaching almost 11
The source saysit has been reported that these animals can reach almost 11 years of age in the wild ... SAFRING longevity and movement records for southern African vulturesNote: the second passage is the title of AnAge's reference [1343], the source it gives for the wild figure

Source
03

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Gypaetus barbatus (bearded vulture). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page sayswhich it breaks open by dropping it from the sky
The source saysLarge bones are picked up by their talons, lifted up 50 to 150 m in the air, and carried over to rocky bone-dropping sites called ossuaries. Here they are dropped repeatedly until they break open
The page saysfrom an old assumption that birds seen carrying large bones had killed livestock
The source saysas bearded vultures were often seen carrying large animal bones, they were assumed to kill farmers' livestock. An old, common name for these birds is "Lammergeier"
The page saysLong black bristles at the base of its bill look like a beard
The source sayslong, broad black bristles at the base of the bill that resemble a beard
The page saysIt lives in mountains from the Pyrenees to India, Tibet, China and southern Siberia, and in Africa from Ethiopia's highlands to Lesotho and South Africa
The source saysThe range of bearded vultures extends across southern Europe and Asia, from as far east as the Pyrenees mountains of Spain to as far west as India and Tibet, south-central China, and southern Siberia. They can also be found across the Ethiopian highlands, as well as in northeast Uganda, west Kenya, Lesotho and southeastern South Africa ... Bearded vultures can be found at high elevations in mountainous regions
The page saysbetween 300 and 4,500 meters up but most often above 2,000
The source saysThey reside between 300 and 4,500 meters above sea level, though most frequently above 2,000 meters.
The page saysMountain cliffs and gorges
The source saysThey often inhabit desolate areas containing cliffs, precipices, or gorges
The page saysbetween 300 and 4,500 meters"
The source saysThey reside between 300 and 4,500 meters above sea level
The page saysis carried 50 to 150 meters up in its talons and dropped repeatedly onto rocky sites called ossuaries until it breaks open and the marrow, the soft fatty tissue inside, can be eaten
The source saysLarge bones are picked up by their talons, lifted up 50 to 150 m in the air, and carried over to rocky bone-dropping sites called ossuaries. Here they are dropped repeatedly until they break open and bone marrow can be consumed.Note: 'soft fatty tissue' is a definition of marrow for readers, not a sourced figure
The page saysThey let other scavengers finish eating first, so they often feed on older carcasses
The source saysBearded vultures will wait patiently at a cliff edge until other scavengers have finished eating, and will not compete for food. As a result, they often feed on older carcassesNote: 'so' restates the source's 'As a result'
The page saysA bearded vulture's head is naturally cream to pale yellow
The source saysThe forehead is a cream color, while the rest of the head is a maize colorNote: 'pale yellow' restates 'maize'; 'naturally' rests on the next sentence of the source, which attributes the orange to bathing
The page saysThe rusty orange often seen on its neck and belly comes from bathing in iron-rich water
The source saysoften becoming more of a rusty orange color on the neck and abdomen. This rufous coloration is caused by bathing in iron-rich water
The page saysLarge bones are carried in the vulture's talons 50 to 150 meters into the air and dropped onto rocky bone-dropping sites called ossuaries, again and again, until they break open and the marrow inside can be eaten.
The source saysLarge bones are picked up by their talons, lifted up 50 to 150 m in the air, and carried over to rocky bone-dropping sites called ossuaries. Here they are dropped repeatedly until they break open and bone marrow can be consumed.
The page sayslifts large bones 50 to 150 meters into the air in its talons and drops them onto rock, again and again, until they break open
The source saysLarge bones are picked up by their talons, lifted up 50 to 150 m in the air, and carried over to rocky bone-dropping sites called ossuaries. Here they are dropped repeatedly until they break openNote: vibe.reason (#403); replaces 'striking cosmetic vanity' (Margalida et al. 2019 conclude the colour is status signalling), 'rust-dyed red' (the dye is orange) and the unsourced 'soars over snowy crags'

Source
04

Margalida & Villalba 2017

Margalida & Villalba (2017). The importance of the nutritive value of old bones in the diet of Bearded vultures Gypaetus barbatus. Scientific Reports.

The page saysdigests in a stomach whose pH could be below 1
The source saysThe pH levels in Bearded Vultures' stomachs are unknown, but could be less than 1 judging by the stomach pH of 0.7 reported for Gyps africanus
The page saysA stomach whose pH could be below 1, and dropping bones from the sky to break them open for the marrow inside
The source saysThe pH levels in Bearded Vultures' stomachs are unknown, but could be less than 1Note: the bone-dropping half is claim 'which it breaks open by dropping it from the sky' (ADW: dropped repeatedly until they break open and bone marrow can be consumed)
The page saysit may be the only vertebrate that lives this way
The source saysThe Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus is the only species with a bone-diet based
The page saysOne study found fresh bone holds about 8 percent more energy than the same weight of fresh meat
The source saysfresh bones contain 108% of the energy provided by fresh meatNote: 108% restated as 8% more; the comparison is per 100 g (mutton meat 514 kJ/100 g)
The page sayssheep and pig bones left in the open air for over three months
The source saysdry sheep and pig bones that had been left in the open airNote: the passage continues 'for > 3 months (range 3–12 months)', written with thin spaces the matcher cannot read; the table labels the same bones 'Dry (>3 months)'
The page sayskept 90 percent of the protein of fresh ones
The source saysdry bones retain 90% of the protein found in fresh bones
The page saysThe bearded vulture's stomach wall is packed with acid-secreting cells, but in 2017 its pH
The source saysThe Bearded Vulture's stomach wall contains a high density of acid-secreting cells ... The pH levels in Bearded Vultures' stomachs are unknownNote: 'packed' restates 'high density'; 2017 is the paper's year
The page saysA study that year suggested it could be below pH 1, judging by a pH of 0.7 reported for the white-backed vulture
The source saysThe pH levels in Bearded Vultures' stomachs are unknown, but could be less than 1 judging by the stomach pH of 0.7 reported for Gyps africanusNote: Gyps africanus is the white-backed vulture; 'below' restates 'less than'
The page saysDigesting bone is estimated to take about 24 hours
The source saysBone is a dense food and it has been estimated that it takes 24 hr to digest
The page saysIts stomach wall is packed with acid-secreting cells, which probably make it highly acidic, but a 2017 study noted that its pH
The source saysThe Bearded Vulture's stomach wall contains a high density of acid-secreting cells, and probably creates a highly acidic environment ... The pH levels in Bearded Vultures' stomachs are unknown
The page saysThe authors suggested it could be below pH 1, judging by the pH of 0.7 reported for the white-backed vulture.
The source saysThe pH levels in Bearded Vultures' stomachs are unknown, but could be less than 1 judging by the stomach pH of 0.7 reported for Gyps africanusNote: Gyps africanus is the white-backed vulture
The page saysDigesting bone has been estimated to take about 24 hours.
The source saysit has been estimated that it takes 24 hr to digest

Source
05

Margalida, Bertran & Heredia 2009

Margalida, Bertran & Heredia (2009). Diet and food preferences of the endangered Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus: a basis for their conservation. Ibis.

The page saysA study of breeding bearded vultures in the Pyrenees during chick-rearing found their diet was 93 percent mammal, 6 percent bird and 1 percent reptile
The source saysThe Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus population in the Pyrenees ... This study investigated both aspects through direct and unbiased observation of breeding Bearded Vultures during the chick‐rearing period. Bearded Vulture diet comprises mammals (93%), birds (6%) and reptiles (1%)
The page saysMedium-sized hoofed animals, mainly sheep and goats, made up 61 percent
The source sayswith medium‐sized ungulates (mainly sheep/goats) the most important species in the diet (61%, n = 677)Note: 'hoofed animals' defines 'ungulates'
The page saysThey prefer limbs and avoid the remains of cows and horses, probably because of the costs of handling, swallowing and carrying them
The source sayswith the remains of larger species (cows and horses) being avoided, probably due to the variable cost/benefit ratios in handling efficiency, ingestion process and transport ... Bearded Vultures prefer to eat limbsNote: 'swallowing' restates 'ingestion process', 'carrying' restates 'transport'; the source's 'probably' is kept
The page sayssheep and goat limbs
The source saysmedium‐sized ungulates (mainly sheep/goats) the most important species in the diet ... Bearded Vultures prefer to eat limbs

Source
06

Margalida et al. 2019

Margalida et al. (2019). Cosmetic colouring by Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus: still no evidence for an antibacterial function. PeerJ.

The page sayswild birds regularly use springs rich in iron oxides, the compounds in rust, to stain their feathers
The source saysWe now know for sure that wild Bearded Vultures regularly make use of ferruginous springs for staining purposesNote: 'the compounds in rust' defines iron oxides; ferruginous = containing iron oxides, as in the paper's 'ferruginous waters containing iron oxides'
The page saysOffered red baths, all 16 captive birds at a Spanish breeding center used them within hours and ignored clean water for weeks
The source saysoffered red baths to 16 captive Bearded Vultures kept at a breeding facility in southern Spain ... All of them bathed in the newly provided ferruginous baths within the first few hours, ignoring the clean water baths for weeks afterwards.
The page saysA 2019 study found no sign that the dye protects feathers from bacteria
The source saysCosmetic colouring by Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus: still no evidence for an antibacterial functionNote: the paper's title; 2019 is its publication year
The page saysstained feathers broke down no more slowly than unstained ones in lab tests
The source saysby applying feather-degrading bacteria to stained and unstained bearded vulture feathers ... the in vitro addition of feather degrading Bacillus licheniformis to naturally stained Bearded Vulture feathers did not retard feather degradation compared to controls
The page saysbreeding success did not differ between territories held by orange and pale birds
The source saysbreeding success did not differ between territories occupied by pale individuals versus orange ones
The page saysIts authors concluded that in adults the color mainly signals status at breeding sites, and secondarily helps a bird compete for a mate
The source sayswe conclude that the primary function of applied colouration in adult Bearded Vultures is that of status signalling at breeding sites, with a secondary function in enhancing their competitive ability to find a mate
The page saysThe color is dye.
The source saysfree-ranging Bearded Vultures have finally been observed bathing naturally in ferruginous waters containing iron oxides, and thereby actively dying their plumage
The page saysWild bearded vultures regularly bathe in springs rich in iron oxides to stain their feathers.
The source saysWe now know for sure that wild Bearded Vultures regularly make use of ferruginous springs for staining purposes
The page saysA 2019 study found no evidence that the dye protects feathers from bacteria
The source saysCosmetic colouring by Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus: still no evidence for an antibacterial functionNote: the paper's title; 2019 is its publication year
The page saysbreeding success was no different in territories held by orange birds than in those held by pale ones
The source saysbreeding success did not differ between territories occupied by pale individuals versus orange ones
The page saysIts authors concluded that in adults the color mainly signals status at breeding sites.
The source sayswe conclude that the primary function of applied colouration in adult Bearded Vultures is that of status signalling at breeding sites

Source
07

Westrip et al. 2022

Westrip et al. (2022). Gypaetus barbatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T22695174A210519978.

The page sayslists it as Near Threatened
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Near Threatened (NT).

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.