Fact check: The bearded vulture is the only known animal whose diet is almost exclusively bone.

1. Summary of the results

1. Summary of the results:

The bearded vulture is indeed unique in having a highly specialized bone-based diet, with bones comprising 70-90% of their total food intake. They possess specialized physiological adaptations, including extremely acidic stomach juices (pH below 1) that allow them to digest large bones within 24 hours.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints:

The original statement omits several crucial details:

• While bones are their primary food source, they also consume other animal matter
• Their diet breaks down to approximately 85-90% bones, with the remainder including mammals (93%), birds (6%), and reptiles (1%)
• Young bearded vultures (chicks) actually require more meat and skin in their diet initially
• They are capable of hunting live prey, particularly tortoises
• Their unique feeding strategy allows them to survive in areas where other scavengers cannot, as bones remain preserved long after meat has decayed

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement:

The phrase "almost exclusively" in the original statement could be misleading, as it suggests a near-100% bone diet. The scientific evidence shows that while bones are indeed the primary component (70-90%), these vultures maintain a more varied diet than the statement implies. The statement also oversimplifies their feeding behavior by not acknowledging their hunting capabilities and the dietary differences between adults and chicks. This oversimplification could lead to misunderstanding of the species' true ecological role and adaptability.