Bearded vulture ‘found dead’ in Soran’s Sherwan Mazin subdistrict

SORAN — A video circulating online in recent days shows a man holding a dead bearded vulture he said he found trapped in a tree in Sherwan Mazin subdistrict of Erbil’s Soran Administration.

964media inquired with the Barzan Environmental Protection Battalion, which monitors local wildlife. The unit confirmed that the bird, identified as a bearded vulture, was found dead.

According to the man in the video, the vulture had been involved in a confrontation with a fox, and both animals died as a result.

Siddiq Hassan, the battalion’s media chief, told 964media, “The person in the video stated that both the fox and the bearded vulture died. However, we are sending a team to the location to investigate.” He added that it is unlikely the vulture was hunted because vultures are not typically targeted. “If hunting were involved, it would be a serious offense, and the hunter will face strict penalties,” he said.

The bearded vulture is a distinctive bird of prey found in high mountainous regions across southern Europe, Africa, and Asia. Unlike other vultures, its diet consists predominantly of bones—up to 90% of its intake. Adults measure between 94 and 125 centimeters in length, with a wingspan ranging from 231 to 283 centimeters. The species is known for dropping large bones from heights onto rocks to fracture them and access the nutritious marrow.

The bearded vulture is currently classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, with habitat loss, unintentional poisoning and reduced food availability posing ongoing challenges.