Page 124 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

BIRDS OF PREY
Order Accipitriformes Family Accipitridae Species Gyps fulvus
Griffon Vulture bulbous bill
whitish head
and neck
pale toffee-
brown back
wings in “V”
when soaring
rich buff-brown
very wing coverts
short and back
dark tail

darker flight
feathers

deeply
fingered
wingtips
narrow light
bands on
darker brown
underwings
IN FLIGHT
massive, long-winged, short-tailed bird, the Griffon Vulture
A spends much time sitting quietly on cliff ledges but flies off in
search of food each day. It may be in the air early on cold, windy FLIGHT: heavy, deep wingbeats; mostly
days, using the wind to help it soar, but on calm, hot days it waits magnificent soaring with wings in “V”.
until later in the day and uses rising currents of warm air that build
up over bare ground or cliffs. It soars with its wings raised and
twisted at the tips, the trailing edge bulging and also slightly arched,
so that, as it slowly circles, its shape appears to change. From directly
below it is broad- and square-winged but from many angles the
wingtips appear more pointed.
VOICE Silent apart from coarse hissing when feeding.
NESTING On bare ledge in gorge or on high cliff, in loose colonies
of ten or so to several scores of pairs; 1 egg; 1 brood;April–July. MASTER SOARER
FEEDING Finds carrion (dead sheep, goats, and smaller animals); The Griffon can travel great distances without flapping
often fed at special feeding stations. its wings at all, using warm upcurrents to gain height.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Quite common in Portugal and
BLACK VULTURE GOLDEN EAGLE Spain, rare in S France, Sardinia,
dark underwings; see p.126 longer
see p.123 head Balkans, and Turkey. In all kinds
of open areas, from lowlands to
all-dark darker high, bleak mountain peaks,
back centred on a cliff or gorge where
longer they roost and nest.
tail
Seen in the UK
JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 0.95–1.1m (3–3 1 ⁄2ft) Wingspan 2.3–2.65m (7 1 ⁄2 –8 3 ⁄4ft) Weight 7–10kg (15–22lb)
Social Flocks Lifespan Up to 25 years Status Rare
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