Bearded Vulture vs White-tailed Eagle
Gypaetus barbatus compared with Haliaeetus albicilla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bearded Vulture | White-tailed Eagle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Gypaetus barbatus | Haliaeetus albicilla |
| Order | Accipitriformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 84.0 cm (33.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 152.1 cm (59.9 in) | 225.0 cm (88.6 in) |
| Weight | 5800.0 g (204.59 oz) | 5200.0 g (183.42 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Fish, waterfowl, and carrion. Often pirates food from other birds. Takes fish from the water … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
White-tailed Eagle
Coastlines, large lakes, and rivers with mature trees or cliffs for nesting. Requires large undisturbed areas.
Song & Call Comparison
Bearded Vulture
White-tailed Eagle
High-pitched, yelping 'klee-klee' and deep barking 'ra-ra-ra'. Less vocal than Bald Eagle but similar chattering quality. Gives gull-like wailing near nest in breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Bearded Vulture
White-tailed Eagle
Northern Europe and Asia from Greenland and Scandinavia to Japan. Reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland.
Conservation Status
Bearded Vulture
White-tailed Eagle
How to Tell Them Apart
Bearded Vulture
White-tailed Eagle
Brown body with a paler head in adults and a distinctive short white wedge-shaped tail. Massive broad wings in flight. Juveniles are darker overall.
Very large, heavy, pale yellow bill
About These Birds
Bearded Vulture
The Bearded Vulture, or Lammergeier, is a spectacular high-mountain raptor found from the Pyrenees and Africa to Central and South Asia. Adults are orange-buff below, dark above, with a long diamond-shaped tail and striking beard of dark bristles below the bill. Uniquely, it feeds almost exclusively on bones, dropping them from height onto rocks to access the nutritious marrow.
White-tailed Eagle
The white-tailed eagle is Europe's largest eagle and the fourth-largest eagle in the world. Once extinct in Britain, it has been successfully reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland through conservation programs. These powerful raptors can live over 25 years and form lifelong pair bonds.