lammergeier

/lam"euhr guy'euhr, -guyeur'/, n.

the largest Eurasian bird of prey, Gypaëtus barbatus, ranging in the mountains from southern Europe to China, having a wingspread of 9 to 10 ft. (2.7 to 3 m) and black feathers hanging from below the bill like a mustache.

Also, lammergeyer, lammergeir. Also called bearded vulture.

[1810-20; < G Lämmergeier lit., lambs' vulture (from its preying on lambs), equiv. to Lämmer, pl. of Lamm LAMB + Geier vulture (c. D gier)]

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▪ bird

also spelled  Lammergeyer, or Lammergeir (German: “lamb vulture”),  also called  Bearded Vulture 

 (species Gypaetus barbatus), big eaglelike vulture of the Old World (family Accipitridae), frequently over 1 m (40 inches) long, with a wingspread of nearly 3 m (10 feet). Brown above and tawny below, the lammergeier has spots on the breast, black and white stripes on the head, and long bristles on the “chin.” Eaglelike features are the feathered face and legs, curved beak, strongly prehensile feet, and long curved claws. The lammergeier inhabits mountainous regions from Central Asia and eastern Africa to Spain. It usually nests on ledges of cliffs, laying one or two whitish eggs about 10 cm (4 inches) in length. It feeds on carrion, especially bones, which it drops from heights as great as 260 feet (80 m) onto flat rocks below. The bird thereby obtains access to the marrow of the bones that have broken.

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