South Africa - Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Bearded vulture

 

Bartgeier

 

Golden Gate Highlands National Park is located in Free State, South Africa, near the Lesotho border. It covers an area of 340 km2 (130 sq mi). The park's most notable features are its golden, ochre, and orange-hued, deeply eroded sandstone cliffs and outcrops, especially the Brandwag rock. Another feature of the area is the numerous caves and shelters displaying San rock paintings. Wildlife featured at the park includes mongooses, eland, zebras, and over 100 bird species. It is the Free State's only national park, and is more famous for the beauty of its landscape than for its wildlife. Numerous paleontology finds have been made in the park, including dinosaur eggs and skeletons.

 

"Golden Gate" refers to the sandstone cliffs found on either side of the valley at the Golden Gate dam. In 1875, a farmer called J.N.R. van Reenen and his wife stopped here as they travelled to their new farm in Vuurland. He named the location "Golden Gate" when he saw the last rays of the setting sun fall on the cliffs.

 

In 1963, 47.92 km2 (11,840 acres) were proclaimed as a national park, specifically to preserve the scenic beauty of the area. In 1981, the park was enlarged to 62.41 km2 (15,420 acres), and in 1988, it was enlarged to 116.33 km2 (28,750 acres). In 2004, the park was announced to be joining with the neighbouring QwaQwa National Park. The amalgamation of QwaQwa National Park was completed in 2007, increasing the park's area to 340 km2 (84,000 acres).

 

The park is 320 km (200 mi) from Johannesburg and is close to the villages of Clarens and Kestell, in the upper regions of the Little Caledon River. The park is situated in the Rooiberge of the eastern Free State, in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains. The Caledon River forms the southern boundary of the park, as well as the border between the Free State and Lesotho. The highest peak in the park (and also in the Free State) is Ribbokkop at 2,829 m (9,281 ft) above sea level.

 

The park is located in the eastern highveld region of South Africa, and experiences a dry, sunny climate from June to August. It has showers, hail, and thunderstorms between October and April. It has thick snowfalls in the winter. The park has a relatively high rainfall of 800 mm (31 in) per year.

 

The park is an area of rich highveld and montane grassland flora. It has more than 60 grass species and a large variety of bulbs and herbs. Each of these species has its own flowering time, meaning that veld flowers can be seen throughout the summer. The park also has Afromontane forests and high-altitude Austro-Afro alpine grassland, which is scarce in South Africa. The ouhout (Leucosidea sericea), an evergreen species, is the most common tree in the park. Ouhout is a favourite habitat of beetles and 117 species occur on these trees in the park. The Lombardi poplars and weeping willows in the park are introduced species, but are kept because of their cultural and historic connection with the eastern Free State. Other exotic species in the park, for example wattle and bluegum, are systematically eradicated.

 

Instead of reintroducing one of the "big five" into the park, the sungazer lizard and water mongoose were reintroduced. Twelve species of mice, 10 species of carnivores, and 10 antelope species have been recorded in the park. The grey rhebuck and the mountain reedbuck were present when the park was established.

 

The geology of the park provides very visual "textbook" examples of Southern Africa's geological history. The sandstone formations in the park form the upper part of the Karoo Supergroup. These formations were deposited during a period of aeolian deposition towards the end of the Triassic Period. At the time of deposition, the climate of the area the park covers was becoming progressively drier until arid desert conditions set in, resulting in a land of dunes and sandy desert, with occasional scattered oases. The deposition of the sandstones ended when lava flowed out over the desert 190 million years ago.

 

The following sequence of geological formations is visible in the park (starting from the bottom): the Molteno Formation, Elliott Formation, Clarens Formation, and Drakensberg Formation. The yellow-brown Golden Gate and Brandwag cliffs are made up of the Clarens formation. The layers in this formation are 140 to 160 m (460 to 520 ft) thick. The Drakensberg formation comprises the basaltic lava that flowed over the desert. It forms the mountain summits in the park. On Ribbokkop, it is 600 m (2,000 ft) thick. The Elliot Formation is a red mudstone where many dinosaur fossils have been found.

 

The oldest dinosaur embryos ever discovered were found in the park in 1978. The eggs were from the Triassic Period (220 to 195 million years ago) and had fossilised foetal skeletons of Massospondylus, a prosauropod dinosaur. More examples of these eggs have since been found in the park. Other fossils found in the park include those of advanced cynodontia (canine toothed animals), small thecodontia (animals with teeth set firmly in the jaw), and bird-like and crocodile-like dinosaurs.

 

Accommodation in the park is available at Glen Reenen and Brandwag Rest camps. Caravan and camp sites with all amenities are available at Glen Reenen camp. The hotel was formerly part of Brandwag camp, but since its recent refurbishment, it is managed separately by SANParks as Golden Gate Hotel. The nearest town to Golden Gate Highlands National Park is Clarens (17 km to the west), but Phuthaditjhaba is also easily reached by a good tar road, driving through the access gate to the east of the park.

 

This park will be included into the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area, Peace Park.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), also known as the lammergeier and ossifrage, is a bird of prey and the only member of the genus Gypaetus. This bird is also identified as Huma bird or Homa bird in Iran and north west Asia. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a minor lineage of Accipitridae together with the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), its closest living relative. It is not much more closely related to the Old World vultures proper than to, for example, hawks, and differs from the former by its feathered neck. Although dissimilar, the Egyptian and bearded vulture each have a lozenge-shaped tail—unusual among birds of prey.

 

The population of this species continues to decline. In 2004, it was classified by the IUCN Red List as least concern; since 2014, it is listed as near threatened. The bearded vulture is the only known vertebrate whose diet consists almost exclusively (70 to 90 percent) of bone. It lives and breeds on crags in high mountains in southern Europe, the Caucasus, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Tibet, laying one or two eggs in mid-winter that hatch at the beginning of spring. Populations are residents.

 

The lammergeier is sparsely distributed across a vast, considerable range. It can be found in mountainous regions from Europe east to Siberia (Palearctic) and Africa. It is found in the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Caucasus region, the Zagros Mountains, the Alborz, the Koh-i-Baba in Bamyan, Afghanistan, the Altai Mountains, the Himalayas, Ladakh in northern India, western and central China, Israel (Where although extinct as a breeder since 1981, single young birds have been reported in 2000, 2004 and 2016), and the Arabian Peninsula. In Africa, it is found in the Atlas Mountains, the Ethiopian Highlands and down from Sudan to northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, central Kenya and northern Tanzania. An isolated population inhabits the Drakensberg of South Africa.

 

This species is almost entirely associated with mountains and inselbergs with plentiful cliffs, crags, precipices, canyons and gorges. They are often found near alpine pastures and meadows, montane grassland and heath, steep-sided, rocky wadis, high steppe and are occasional around forests. They seem to prefer desolate, lightly-populated areas where predators who provide many bones, such as wolves and golden eagles, have healthy populations.

 

In Ethiopia, they are now common at refuse tips on the outskirts of small villages and towns. Although they occasionally descend to 300–600 m (980–1,970 ft), bearded vultures are rare below an elevation of 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and normally reside above 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in some parts of their range. They are typically found around or above the tree line which are often near the tops of the mountains, at up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in Europe, 4,500 m (14,800 ft) in Africa and 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in central Asia. In southern Armenia they have been found to breed below 1,000 m (3,300 ft) if cliff availability permits. They even have been observed living at altitudes of 7,500 m (24,600 ft) on Mount Everest and been observed flying at a height of 24,000 ft (7,300 m).

 

During 1970s and 1980s the population of the bearded vulture in southern Africa declined however their distribution remained constant. The bearded vulture population occupies the highlands of Lesotho, Free State, Eastern Cape and Maloti-Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu-Natal. Adult bearded vultures utilise areas with higher altitudes, with steep slopes and sharp points and within areas that are situated closer to their nesting sites. Adult bearded vultures are more likely to fly below 200 m over Lesotho. Along the Drakensberg Escarpment from the area of Golden Gate Highlands National Park south into the northern part of the Eastern Cape there was the greatest densities of bearded vultures.

 

Abundance of bearded vultures is shown for eight regions within the species' range in southern Africa. The total population of bearded vultures in southern Africa is calculated as being 408 adult birds and 224 young birds of all age classes therefore giving an estimate of about 632 birds.

 

This bird is 94–125 cm (37–49 in) long with a wingspan of 2.31–2.83 m (7.6–9.3 ft). It weighs 4.5–7.8 kg (9.9–17.2 lb), with the nominate race averaging 6.21 kg (13.7 lb) and G. b. meridionalis of Africa averaging 5.7 kg (13 lb). In Eurasia, vultures found around the Himalayas tend to be slightly larger than those from other mountain ranges. Females are slightly larger than males. It is essentially unmistakable with other vultures or indeed other birds in flight due to its long, narrow wings, with the wing chord measuring 71.5–91 cm (28.1–35.8 in), and long, wedge-shaped tail, which measures 42.7–52 cm (16.8–20.5 in) in length. The tail is longer than the width of the wing. The tarsus is relatively small for the bird's size, at 8.8–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in). The proportions of the species have been compared to a falcon, scaled to an enormous size.

 

Unlike most vultures, the bearded vulture does not have a bald head. This species is relatively small headed, although its neck is powerful and thick. It has a generally elongated, slender shape, sometimes appearing bulkier due to the often hunched back of these birds. The gait on the ground is waddling and the feet are large and powerful. The adult is mostly dark gray, rusty and whitish in color. It is grey-blue to grey-black above. The creamy-coloured forehead contrasts against a black band across the eyes and lores and bristles under the chin, which form a black beard that give the species its English name. Bearded vultures are variably orange or rust of plumage on their head, breast and leg feathers but this is actually cosmetic. This colouration may come from dust-bathing, rubbing mud on its body or from drinking in mineral-rich waters. The tail feathers and wings are gray. The juvenile bird is dark black-brown over most of the body, with a buff-brown breast and takes five years to reach full maturity. The bearded vulture is silent, apart from shrill whistles in their breeding displays and a falcon-like cheek-acheek call made around the nest.

 

The acid concentration of the bearded vulture stomach has been estimated to be of pH about 1. Large bones will be digested in about 24 hours, aided by slow mixing/churning of the stomach content. The high fat content of bone marrow makes the net energy value of bone almost as good as that of muscle, even if bone is less completely digested. A skeleton left on a mountain will dehydrate and become protected from bacterial degradation, and the bearded vulture can return to consume the remainder of a carcass even months after the soft parts have been consumed by other animals, larvae and bacteria.

 

Like other vultures, it is a scavenger, feeding mostly on the remains of dead animals. The bearded vulture diet comprises mammals (93%), birds (6%) and reptiles (1%), with medium-sized ungulates forming a large part of the diet. Bearded vultures avoid remains of larger species (such as cows and horses) probably because of the variable cost/benefit ratios in handling efficiency, ingestion process and transportation of the remains. It usually disdains the actual meat and lives on a diet that is typically 85–90% bone marrow. This is the only living bird species that specializes in feeding on marrow. The bearded vulture can swallow whole or bite through brittle bones up to the size of a lamb's femur and its powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces. The bearded vulture has learned to crack bones too large to be swallowed by carrying them in flight to a height of 50–150 m (160–490 ft) above the ground and then dropping them onto rocks below, which smashes them into smaller pieces and exposes the nutritious marrow. They can fly with bones up to 10 cm (3.9 in) in diameter and weighing over 4 kg (8.8 lb), or nearly equal to their own weight.

 

After dropping the large bones, the bearded vulture spirals or glides down to inspect them and may repeat the act if the bone is not sufficiently cracked.[8] This learned skill requires extensive practice by immature birds and takes up to seven years to master. Its old name of ossifrage ("bone breaker") relates to this habit. Less frequently, these birds have been observed trying to break bones (usually of a medium size) by hammering them with their bill directly into rocks while perched. During the breeding season they feed mainly on carrion. They prefer limbs of sheep and other small mammals and they carry the food to the nest, unlike other vultures which feed their young by regurgitation.

 

Live prey is sometimes attacked by the bearded vulture, with perhaps greater regularity than any other vulture. Among these, tortoises seem to be especially favored depending on their local abundance. Tortoises preyed on may be nearly as heavy as the preying vulture. To kill tortoises, bearded vultures fly with them to some height and drop them to crack open the bulky reptiles' hard shells. Golden eagles have been observed to kill tortoises in the same way. Other live animals, up to nearly their own size, have been observed to be predaciously seized and dropped in flight. Among these are rock hyraxes, hares, marmots and, in one case, a 62 cm (24 in) long monitor lizard. Larger animals have been known to be attacked by bearded vultures, including ibex, Capra goats, chamois and steenbok. These animals have been killed by being surprised by the large birds and battered with wings until they fall off precipitous rocky edges to their deaths; although in some cases these may be accidental killings when both the vulture and the mammal surprise each other. Many large animals killed by bearded vultures are unsteady young, or have appeared sickly or obviously injured. Humans have been anecdotally reported to have been killed in the same way. This is unconfirmed, however, and if it does happen, most biologists who have studied the birds generally agree it would be accidental on the part of the vulture. Occasionally smaller ground-dwelling birds, such as partridges and pigeons, have been reported eaten, possibly either as fresh carrion (which is usually ignored by these birds) or killed with beating wings by the vulture] While foraging for bones or live prey while in flight, bearded vultures fly fairly low over the rocky ground, staying around 2 to 4 m (6.6 to 13.1 ft) high. Occasionally, breeding pairs may forage and hunt together. In the Ethiopian Highlands, bearded vultures have adapted to living largely off human refuse.

 

This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as Vultur barbatus. The present scientific name means "bearded vulture-eagle".

 

The name lammergeyer originates from German Lämmergeier, which means "lamb-vulture". The name stems from the belief that it attacked lambs.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Golden-Gate-Highlands-Nationalpark (englisch Golden Gate Highlands National Park) liegt in Südafrika, im Südosten des Freistaates nahe der Grenze zu Lesotho, und zeichnet sich besonders durch seine malerischen Felslandschaften aus. Orange oder ocker gefärbte Sandsteinfelsen ragen über das bergige Grasland auf. Außerdem gibt es Felsmalereien der San.

 

Der nördliche Eingang zum Park liegt bei dem Künstlerdorf Clarens.

 

(Wikipedia)

 

Der Bartgeier (Gypaetus barbatus) oder Lämmergeier ist ein Greifvogel aus der Familie der Habichtartigen (Accipitridae). Er bildet die einzige Art der gleichnamigen Gattung (Gypaetus). Traditionell zählte er zur Unterfamilie der Altweltgeier (Aegypiinae), ehe er aufgrund molekulargenetischer Untersuchungen mit dem Schmutzgeier und dem Palmgeier in eine eigene Unterfamilie (Gypaetinae) gestellt wurde.

 

Mit einer Flügelspannweite von bis zu 2,9 Metern zählt der Bartgeier zu den größten flugfähigen Vögeln der Welt. Er ist neben dem etwa gleich großen Mönchsgeier der größte Greifvogel Europas, und mit 225 bis 250 Brutpaaren einer der seltensten.

 

Der Bartgeier wurde aufgrund des Irrglaubens, er würde Lämmer erlegen, Lämmergeier genannt – eine Bezeichnung, die sich als Lammergeier auch im englischsprachigen Raum eingebürgert hat. Auf seine äußerliche Ähnlichkeit zu einem Adler weisen auch Namen wie Bartadler oder Greifadler hin. Goldgeier, Bartfalk, Berggeier, Beinbrecher oder Knochenbrecher sind weitere Bezeichnungen, die der Volksmund dieser Geierart gegeben hat.

 

Ausgewachsene Bartgeier haben ein kontrastreiches Körpergefieder. Die Oberseite ist grauschwarz. Kopf, Hals und die Körperunterseite sind weiß bis rostrot. Ihre Flügelspannweite beträgt 2,30–2,83 m, ihre Körperlänge 94–125 cm, ihr Gewicht 4,5–7 kg. Junge Bartgeier sind überwiegend grauschwarz, nach fünf bis sieben Jahren ist die Art ausgefärbt. Bartgeier weisen einen nur sehr geringen Geschlechtsdimorphismus auf.

 

Auffällige borstenartige schwarze Federn hängen dem Bartgeier über den Schnabel. Sie sind für diese Art namensgebend gewesen. Die Augen sind von einem roten Skleralring umgeben; die Intensität des Rots spiegelt die Stimmung des Vogels wider. Je erregter er ist, desto leuchtender ist dieser Skleralring. Die Iris der Augen ist gelb.

 

Der Bartgeier hat lange, relativ schmale und zum Ende hin deutlich zugespitzte Flügel, die beim Gleiten leicht nach unten hängend gehalten werden. Der Schwanz ist lang und keilförmig. Er ist insgesamt deutlich schmalerflügelig und längerschwänzig als alle anderen Geier und ähnelt in seinem Flugbild eher einem riesigen Falken. Als ausgezeichneter Segler kann er schon geringste Aufwinde nutzen, um im Gleitflug an Felswänden oder über einem Berggipfel zu patrouillieren.

 

Der Bartgeier hat heute ein disjunktes Verbreitungsgebiet. Er ist in Afrika ebenso zu finden wie in den Pyrenäen, einigen Bergregionen Südeuropas, auch in den Tauern, in Gebirgen des südwestlichen und zentralen Asien, der Mongolei und Zentralchinas. Innerhalb dieses großen Verbreitungsgebietes werden zwei Unterarten beschrieben:

 

Gypaetus barbatus barbatus ist die Nominatform. Sie ist im Atlasgebirge in Marokko, Algerien und Tunesien ebenso beheimatet wie in den Pyrenäen, auf Korsika sowie im Kaukasus-Gebirge. Sie ist außerdem auch die in Asien vorkommende Unterart.

G. b. meridionalis ist die afrikanische Unterart des Bartgeiers. Sie ist etwas kleiner als die Nominatform und hat kurze Federhosen sowie einfarbig helle Wangen. Diese Unterart ist in Afrika mit etwa 15.000 Individuen im Norden Tansanias, in Kenia, Uganda, Äthiopien, dem Sudan, Lesotho und im Südwesten Arabiens zu finden.

 

Typische Lebensräume des Bartgeiers sind alpine und montane Bergregionen oberhalb der Baumgrenze. Diese Gebiete sind durch große Höhenunterschiede, steile Felswände, gute Thermik und Aufwinde gekennzeichnet. Sie müssen außerdem Frischwasser und sogenannte Rotbadestellen aufweisen. Unzugängliche Felsnischen sind notwendig, damit die Bartgeier zur Brut kommen. Wichtig ist für den Bartgeier gleichfalls, dass es einen Bestand von Beutegreifern wie Wolf und Luchs sowie großen Greifvögeln wie Steinadler in seinem Lebensraum gibt. Er benötigt sie, da er von ihnen einen Teil der Beute übernimmt.

 

Die Höhenregionen, in denen sich Bartgeier aufhalten, entsprechen in Europa Höhen zwischen 1500 und 3000 Metern. Im Himalaya kommen sie bis zu 7800 Metern vor. In Äthiopien dagegen kann man den Bartgeier bereits in einer Höhe ab 300 Metern über dem Meeresspiegel beobachten.

 

Das von Familiengruppen oder Paaren beanspruchte Revier hat eine Größe zwischen 100 und 400 Quadratkilometern. Während des Winterhalbjahrs wird das Gebiet, das Bartgeier während ihrer Nahrungssuche überfliegen, noch größer. Allerdings verhalten sich Bartgeier nur in unmittelbarer Nähe ihres Nestes aggressiv gegenüber Artgenossen und anderen Greifvögeln. Bartgeier sind Standvögel, die das ganze Jahr über in ihrem Brutrevier verbleiben.

 

Bartgeier leben nahezu ausschließlich von Aas – die einzige Ausnahme davon stellen Landschildkröten im Mittelmeerraum dar. Die Landschildkröten trägt der Bartgeier in die Luft und lässt sie ebenso wie Knochen aus großer Höhe fallen. In Afrika ist er außerdem dabei beobachtet worden, dass er die Plazenta von Wild- und Nutztieren frisst. Der Bartgeier landet dabei mitten in der Herde und nähert sich dann zu Fuß den Geburtsüberresten.

 

Seine Nahrung besteht zu 80 % aus Knochen von gefallenen Tieren und Aas. Jungtiere sind noch auf Muskelfleisch angewiesen, erwachsene Tiere können sich fast ausschließlich von Knochen ernähren. Ein ausgewachsenes Tier benötigt dabei täglich zwischen 250 und 400 Gramm Knochen. Bartgeier lassen die Knochen aus großer Höhe auf Felsen fallen, um sie zu zerkleinern und schlundgerechte Stücke zu erhalten.

 

Entdeckt ein Bartgeier einen Kadaver, kreist er erst eine Zeit lang über diesem. Landet er, macht er das in einiger Entfernung vom Kadaver und nähert sich diesem zu Fuß. Beute, die er nicht sofort verzehrt, bewahrt er in größeren Nahrungsverstecken in Horsten oder Ruhe- und Schlafplätzen auf.

 

Mit der Spezialisierung auf Knochen hat der Bartgeier eine Nahrungsnische gefunden, die ihm von keinem anderen Tier streitig gemacht wird. Er wartet daher auch geduldig ab, bis sich andere Beutegreifer wie Füchse, Wölfe, Bären oder auch andere Geier am Kadaver gütlich getan haben. Die spektakulären Verteilungsauseinandersetzungen, die man beispielsweise in der afrikanischen Savanne beobachten kann, wenn Geier zwischen Löwen versuchen, an Teile des Kadavers zu gelangen, kommen bei Bartgeiern nicht vor. Mit der Spezialisierung auf Knochen hat der Bartgeier sich dabei durchaus eine nährstoffreiche Nahrungsquelle erschlossen. Knochen enthalten im Durchschnitt 12 Prozent Eiweiß, 16 Prozent Fett, 23 Prozent Mineralstoffe und 49 Prozent Wasser. Wegen des geringen Wassergehaltes der Knochen trinken Bartgeier häufig. Sie sind daher auf Frischwasserquellen in ihrem Lebensraum angewiesen und nehmen auch Schnee auf, um ihren Durst zu stillen.

 

Bartgeier verfügen über eine außergewöhnliche große Mundspalte. Ausgewachsene Vögel können bis zu 18 Zentimeter lange und 3 Zentimeter dicke Knochen unzerkleinert verschlucken. Noch größere Knochen werden jedoch vor dem Fressen zerkleinert. Im Unterschied zu anderen Geierarten verfügt der Bartgeier über recht bewegliche Greiffüße und spitze Krallen. Daher ist er in der Lage, die Knochen zu ergreifen, mit ihnen in die Luft zu steigen und sie aus einer Höhe von 60 bis 80 Meter fallen zu lassen. In einem Revier etablierte Bartgeier nutzen regelmäßig sogenannte Knochenschmieden, das sind Felsplatten von etwa 30 Quadratmeter Fläche. Auf diese Flächen lässt der Bartgeier den Knochen hinabstürzen, damit dieser zerbricht. Bartgeier sind dabei hartnäckig und lassen Knochen bis zu vierzig Mal hinabfallen, bis sie endlich brechen. Der spanische Name des Bartgeiers Quebrantahuesos („Der die Knochen bricht“) nimmt das auf.

 

Die Neigung, Knochen fallen zu lassen, ist Bartgeiern angeboren. Technische Fertigkeit erwerben sie jedoch erst im Laufe der Zeit. Sehr erfahrene Vögel lassen den Knochen erst nach dem Ansetzen zum Sturzflug los.

 

Die ausreichend zerkleinerten Knochentrümmer werden geschluckt und im Magen von der starken Magensäure des Geiers aufgelöst.

 

(Wikipedia)

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