Rare bearded vulture known as the ‘bone cracker’ spotted in South Holland

An extremely rare bird dubbed the ‘bone cracker’ has been spotted in Moulton Chapel.

The bearded vulture, also known as the lammergier is not native to these shores and normally only found in mountainous parts of southern Europe and Asia.

But local bird watchers enjoyed a treat when a juvenile one was spotted in South Holland fenland.

The bird can grow to have a wing span of 9.3 foot.

John Wheldon was among those who went to get a glimpse of the bearded vulture whose diet can consist of up to 90 per cent bone.

He told The Voice that it was only the second time the bird had been seen in Britain and first time in Lincolnshire having previously travelled up to the Peak District earlier this year to see it when it was first spotted in Derbyshire.

“It’s a massive bird,” he said. “Bigger even than the white tail eagle which is the biggest bird we normally have in Britain.

“It’s a juvenile which came in June to the Peak District after being part of a project to reintroduce the animals in The Alps.

“It is a wild born bird as it has no leg or wing I D probably born to reintroduced vultures in The Alps or Pyrenees which will have ID markings.

“It was first seen in northern France and Belgium in early June identified from its raggy tail feathers which were probably pulled out by ravens

“I’m part of the Lincolnshire Bird Club and got an alert that it was near Moulton Chapel so had to come down and get another glimspe of it.

“After a while it flew off towards Crowland way. I can’t imagine it will stop around here for long.

“It won’t find much food out here as it eats bones. Last time I saw it in the Peak District it was eating the bones of a dead sheep.

“They eat mainly bones from dead animals which I don’t think they will find many of in South Lincs so in my opinion it would be best caught and given  a crowd funded trip back to the ALPS, as it has a lot of friends in the UK.” 

Paul Sulliven and Will Bowell was among those able to capture the bearded vulture on camera.

Will described the Bearded Vulture as “amazing”.

“We even watched it cough up an pellet and eat it again,” he said.