Griffon Vulture

Overview

The Eurasian griffon vulture, or Gyps fulvus, is a large Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• 93–122 cm long with a wingspan of 2.3–2.8 m.
• White head and neck ruff contrasting with a buff body and dark flight feathers.
• Yellow bill.
• Broad wings and short tail feathers.

Habitat

Resident in parts of the Iberian Peninsula, eastern Atlas Mountains, eastern Alps, Anatolia, the Caucasus, the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian plateau, and the Tian Shan and Altai Mountains. Spain holds more than 90% of the European population, with major colonies in Castile and León and Aragon. In some areas, such as Cres island in Croatia, they breed at low elevations near human activity.

Diet

As large scavengers, they feed on carrion but have been reported to kill weak, young, or unhealthy living animals when carrion is unavailable. Feeding rates increase when more food is available, with no significant difference in feeding rates by age or sex.

Did you know?

Griffon vultures can regulate their body temperature by adjusting their posture to increase bare skin exposure from 7% to 32%, more than doubling convective heat loss without seeking shelter.