A rare vulture that lives on the marrow from animal bones has been spotted in the UK for the first time.

The bearded vulture, also known as a lammergeier, was filmed by the Second Severn Crossing near Bristol over the weekend.

It was reportedly seen again on Monday some 100 miles away at the Avon Dam network on Dartmoor, in Devon.

Onlookers said the bird appears to be a juvenile. Fully grown lammergeiers have a wingspan of more than nine feet.

The birdguides website said: "It appears to be the individual present in Belgium on Monday, and is thought to be a wild bird. This would represent the first record for Britain."

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is the only bird of prey that lives almost entirely on the marrow from the bones of dead animals.

It can swallow bones up to the size of a lamb's femur whole, or bite through brittle bones, and its powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces.

The bird has learned to crack bones too big to be swallowed by carrying them to a height of 160-490 ft (50-150 m) above the ground and then dropping them onto rocks below.

It has also been seen to kill tortoises in a similar way by smashing open their shells.