Sightings of 'Homa' in the Alborz Mountains; The Mythical Bird of Iranians is a Bearded Vulture

Images circulating on social media apparently show a bird resembling 'Homa' or the bird of happiness in the Alborz Mountains. This bird, which holds a mythical status in Iranian culture, symbolizes happiness and prosperity, and it is said that whoever is shadowed by it will achieve happiness. The renowned Iranian poet Hafez states in one of his ghazals: 'If the Homa of the peak of happiness falls into our trap, if you pass by our station, I will throw off my hat in joy if an image of you falls into our cup.' Saeb Tabrizi also mentions in a ghazal: 'The color of modesty has faded from the apple of the cheek, sweetness remains in the fruit of paradise, the sun's grace has gone behind the wall, in the shadow of Homa, happiness has not remained.' In fact, Homa is the bearded vulture, which is also native to Iran. The recent publication of images on social media has elicited various reactions from Iranian users and has attracted significant attention. The Persian-language page of Israel wrote about this bird: 'The Homa of happiness signifies the happiness and prosperity that awaits the freedom-seeking people of Iran at the threshold of the new year.' The presence of Homa in literature, history, and Iranian symbols has a long-standing history. From the reliefs of Persepolis to the emblem of Iran's national airline and the Persepolis football club, traces of this bird can be seen as a symbol of happiness. A page titled 'Iranian Plateau' on X stated: 'Regarding the Homa of happiness, we should say that it is not a rare and mythical occurrence at all. This Homa is the only vulture that eats the bones of carcasses and saves the earth from pollution.' Another user named Akbar Naimati provided detailed explanations in a thread. He wrote: 'The name Homa or Homiyeh, Homaie, Homiya, and Homaaya in Pahlavi means auspicious and fortunate and is frequently used in the Avesta. Homa or the bird of happiness is a bearded vulture. You might find it paradoxical why a vulture became a bird of happiness in our beliefs? The diet of this bird consists of over 80% bone marrow, and it can completely digest bones in less than 24 hours due to its high stomach acid. Unlike other predatory birds, it has no interest in eating meat and carcasses, and its main diet is bones.' He further adds: 'The Homa of happiness or the bird of happiness holds a special place in the literature and culture of Iran, and it is famous that whoever is shadowed by it will achieve happiness, prosperity, and success. For this reason, the role of Homa is present in many of the columns of Persepolis, and many poems in Persian literature have been composed where Homa plays a fundamental role. Homa is essentially a bone-eating bird; ancient Iranians revered and sanctified the four elements of water, wind, earth, and fire, considering them the creators of existence and the movers of the world; to the extent that the rituals of most ancient Iranian tribes were also based on these natural elements. For this reason, they did not bury their dead in the earth because they believed the earth should not be polluted, and our ancestors placed their bodies in tombs; according to their belief, if Homa approached a corpse, that person would be happy in the eternal world and would become heavenly in the afterlife.' Mr. Naimati concluded by stating that contrary to beliefs, Homa is not a rare bird in Iran; it lives in both the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges, but since it chooses to nest on cliffs, it is somewhat difficult to see, although it is currently under threat in terms of conservation.