In Ethiopia, they are now common at refuse tips on the outskirts of small villages and towns. Although they occasionally descend to , bearded vultures are rare below an elevation of and normally reside above in some parts of their range. They are typically found around or above the tree line which are often near the tops of the mountains, at up to in Europe, in Africa and in central Asia. In southern Armenia they have been found to breed below if cliff availability permits. They even have been observed living at altitudes of on Mount Everest and been observed flying at a height of .