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Bearded Vulture Nests are Natural Museums
Archeologists found ancient human artifacts among well-preserved nesting materials.
© Arne Wuensche (Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library)
Bearded Vultures have lived alongside humans for thousands of years. Though these majestic raptors are mostly found in Asia and Africa today, they were once abundant in Europe, too. While Bearded Vultures have vanished across much of their original range, their nests remain like time capsules of a bygone era. Researchers analyzed historical nests in southern Spain where the birds haven’t been seen in nearly a century. They found thousands of bone fragments, dozens of egg shells — as well as hundreds of human artifacts that were likely added as nesting material. These hoarded items offer an unexpected glimpse of what life was once like for the people and wildlife that thrived in this region.
BirdNote®
Bearded Vulture Nests Are Natural Museums
Written by Ariana Remmel
This is BirdNote.
Bearded Vultures have lived alongside humans for thousands of years. Though they are mostly found in Asia and Africa today, the vulture’s ancient nests in Europe are like time capsules of a bygone era.
[Bearded Vulture]
Bearded Vultures are large raptors with a 7 to 9 foot wingspan. They subsist almost entirely on bones and marrow. They raise their young in cliffside caves that are reused over generations. These dark, cool alcoves accumulate nesting materials and food scraps. And while Bearded Vultures have vanished across much of Europe, their nests remain like tiny, temperature-controlled museums.
Researchers carefully catalogued the contents of 12 historical nests in southern Spain where the birds haven’t been seen in nearly a century. They found thousands of bones, dozens of egg shells — as well as hundreds of human artifacts. The hoard included fabric scraps, part of a slingshot, and a crossbow bolt. One nest even preserved a sandal made from woven grass cord that dates back to the 13th century!
The researchers say these nests offer an unexpected glimpse of what life was like for the people and wildlife that once thrived in this region.
[Bearded Vulture]
For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by XenoCanto. Bearded Vulture [XC653856] recorded by
Eduardo Realinho and [XC144936] recorded by Fernand Deroussen.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2026 BirdNote July 2026
Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# lammergeier-03-2026-07-27 lammergeier-03
Reference:
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.70191
https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/lammer1/cur/introduction
https://peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species/vultures/bearded-vulture
Ariana Remmel
Writer NarratorSights & Sounds
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