Bearded vulture flies to Romania, seen 1st time in decades

Bucharest - Romania's Ornithological Society says a bearded vulture has flown into the country, the first time it says the rare bone-eating bird has been spotted here in more than 80 years.

The large two-year-old male bird, named Adonis, was born in the Czech Republic as part of a European breeding programme. It was then moved to France's Massif Centrale mountains, where a tracking device was attached.

Ornithological Society spokesperson Ovidiu Bufnila told The Associated Press on Friday the organisation was told that Adonis was in Romania, had come to a standstill and could be in trouble. Scientists located the bird on July 19, perched high, waiting for a dog's corpse to be eaten by other birds in far northwest Romania.

Bearded vultures feed on bones, which are digested in their highly acidic stomachs.