Changes

==Threats==

==Threats==

Lammergeiers are classified as "Least concern" in the IUCN Red List, due to the extremely large range the bird has in Eurasia and Africa; the population overall has been estimated to be about 10,000 birds, yet an accurate count is difficult due to the nature of the terrain in which they live as well as the vast distances flown by individual birds when foraging.  Persecution in areas where sheep and goat herders drive their flocks have caused a regional extinction of lammergeiers within the southern Balkans of Europe, Syria, and Jordan;<ref>http://www.ebd.csic.es/carnivoros/personal/donazar/joseadonazar/s_p_pdfs/26_High%20frequency%20of%20polyandrous%20trios%20in%20an%20endangered%20population%20of%20lammergeiers%20Gypaetus%20barbatus%20in.pdf</ref> they have been recently reintroduced to the Alps of Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.

Lammergeiers were once classified as "least concern" in the IUCN Red List, due to the extremely large range the bird has in Eurasia and Africa; this has since been upgraded to "near threatened".  Although increasing in numbers in Spain, the population of the birds in the remaining parts of the range has seen significant drops, with the blame falling on the use of an anti-inflammatory drug used on livestock, diclofenac.  The drug is responsible for a significant drop in the numbers of several vulture species throughout central and southern Asia<ref>http://www.nature.com/news/cattle-drug-threatens-thousands-of-vultures-1.19839</ref>, and although primarily a bone eater, lammergeiers will also consume carrion flesh when available; the absence of ''Gyps'' vultures at a carcass means a lammergeier has unrestricted access to the remains rather than wait for the others as they normally would.  Additionally, persecution in areas where sheep and goat herders drive their flocks have caused a regional extinction of lammergeiers within the southern Balkans of Europe, Syria, and Jordan;<ref>http://www.ebd.csic.es/carnivoros/personal/donazar/joseadonazar/s_p_pdfs/26_High%20frequency%20of%20polyandrous%20trios%20in%20an%20endangered%20population%20of%20lammergeiers%20Gypaetus%20barbatus%20in.pdf</ref> they have been recently reintroduced to the Alps of Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.

 

==References==

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Birds of Prey]][[Category:Vultures]]

[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Birds of Prey]][[Category:Vultures]]