Issue date: 30 Apr, 2021
EUROPE. Endangered wildlife. Bearded vulture
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is known in Spanish as the bone-breaker, thanks to its unique feeding method - it drops bones from a great height so that they shatter into pieces, which it can then gobble up.
It is one of the largest diurnal birds of prey in the Pyrenees, with unique characteristics shown on the stamp, which make it easy to identify in its natural habitat. It has long, narrow wings, with a wingspan up to 3 metres, a rhomboid tail, and a feathery head which differentiates it from other vultures, as it has no need to stick its head into the cavities of dead animals, simply taking the bones which other types of vulture have left. Its bone diet makes it an essential part of the food chain, eliminating the remains of carcasses in the wilderness.
Although the species is widely distributed in mainland Europe, it is endangered and has completely disappeared in several regions where it was once abundant.
The Pyrenees mountains are home to one of the largest and still viable population in Europe, largely thanks to the work done to conserve and consolidate the species by the Govern d’Andorra together with the Associació per a la Defensa de la Natura in the PACT programme (Pla d’Actuacions per a la Conservació del Trencalós), which acts in five areas: monitoring bearded vulture populations, establishing additional feeding sites, educating the public, media outreach, and international partnership programmes.
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Rate A2 - €0.85. For a “standard” letter or postcard within Spain, between 20 g and 50 g.
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