Bone smiths
As bone forging some sort of about 30 square meters nearly flat rock slabs, which the bearded vulture uses to break bones. Bearded vultures that are established in one area always seek out the same rock slabs to drop bones there. Traditional bone smiths, which are also back in the Alps after the successful reintroduction of the bearded vulture , are covered with thousands of faded bone fragments.
The food spectrum of the bearded vulture consists of 80 percent bones. Adult bearded vultures are able to swallow bones up to 18 centimeters long and three centimeters thick thanks to their large mouth. Bigger ones crush them by dropping them from sixty to eighty meters above the ground on the forge. Large bones usually don't break on the first tosses. Bearded vultures soar in the air up to 40 times with the same bone and drop it on the bone forge until they succeed.
Young bearded vultures are born with this tendency; These animals only acquire skills in the course of their lives. Very experienced bearded vultures begin to swoop before letting go of the bones and fling the bones in the process. This increases the impact energy.
See also
- The stones used by song thrushes to smash snail shells are called throttle forges .
- A woodpecker smithy is an existing or self-made crack in wood, in which a woodpecker z. B. Pinch pine cones to get the seeds easier.
- Tool use in animals