Home
Illustrations
Book Design
Product Design
Character Design
Comics
Laika & Kaiya Project
Personal Work
About Me
Contact Info
Cara
BlueSky
This illustration was a visual journalism piece about the Bearded Vulture which is a threatened species of raptors native to Africa, Asia and Europe.
Gypaetus Barbatus, commonly known as the Bearded Vulture, is a raptor that can be found in parts of Africa, Asia and Europe. They live in mountainous regions, windy lowlands or large plains with rocky surfaces. While this bird may not appear to be equipped for speed, it is known for its quick agility in the skies, their wingspan being approximately 3 meters and having an average weight of 9 - 15 pounds.
What separates this great bird from the typical vulture which prey upon the flesh of dead animals, is their diet. The Bearded Vulture is one of the few vertebrates whose main source of sustenance is sustained by consuming bones and bone marrow. Because 90% of their diet is made up of bones, the Bearded Vulture's competition with other predators in the area greatly decreases. However, while this may be a big part of their appetite, these birds have been noted to hunt sheep, turtles and goats to fill the remaining 10% of their diet. As a result of their hardy meals, this raptor's stomach is said to be made of iron as their digestive organ comes prepared with capable acid-secreting cells that break down the bones within 24 hours. If the carnivorous bird is challenged with a bone too large for it to eat, the Bearded Vulture will hoist it into the sky before letting it plummet onto the rocky surface in order for it break into smaller edible chunks. Some observers have report-ably witnessed the bird take live animals up into the air to meet the same fate.
Sadly, Bearded Vultures are categorized as a Near Threatened species due to the rise of humans disturbing their habitats and food resources. They unfortunately went extinct in the Alps region at the beginning of the 20th century. Because of the continued threats of poisoned livestock, poachers and starvation, The Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture was established. In their effort to support this vulnerable species, they were successfully able to start a reintroduction program which has helped the Bearded Vulture population to be preserved.