The Griffon Vulture is a very large scavenging bird in the family Accipitridae. It has pale brown plumage, a fluffy white “ruff” of feathers around its neck, and broad wings that allow it to soar at altitudes up to 5,000 m while searching for carrion.

Key Facts

• Scientific name: Gyps fulvus

• Average size: body length 93–110 cm; wingspan 240–280 cm

• Weight: 6–8 kg

• Habitat: mountains, cliffs, open semi-arid areas

Lifestyle
Diurnal and highly social at nesting cliffs, where several pairs breed in colonies. Feeds almost exclusively on carrion, playing a vital sanitary role in the ecosystem. Uses thermal updrafts to glide long distances with minimal wing flapping.

Conservation Status
Least Concern (LC). Populations are generally stable, though local declines occur due to poisoning and loss of feeding grounds.

Range
Southern Europe, North Africa, and western to central Asia; in Ukraine primarily in the Crimean mountains.