Eurasian Griffon
Gyps fulvus
Aves › Accipitriformes › Accipitridae › Gyps
Conservation status: least_concern
The Eurasian griffon vulture is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. It is also known as the Eurasian griffon or griffon vulture, although the latter term is sometimes used for the genus Gyps as a whole.
How To Identify
This magnificent bird displays robust grey and mottled brown plumage. Its sheer size is immediately noticeable, giving it an impressive silhouette as it rides high on the wind currents.
Habitat
It inhabits mountainous and rocky regions across southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and into central Asia, favoring steep cliffs for nesting and open terrain for foraging.
Behaviour
These massive vultures are highly social, gathering in large communal roosts and feeding aggregations where dozens or hundreds of individuals may descend on a carcass simultaneously.
Native Range
The Eurasian griffon vulture is native to parts of the Iberian Peninsula the eastern Atlas Mountains the eastern Alps parts of Anatolia and the Caucasus parts of the Arabian Peninsula and the Iranian plateau and in the Tian Shan and Altai Mountains.
Did You Know?
The maximum recorded lifespan of the griffon vulture is 41.4 years for an individual in captivity.
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