photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Doug J | all galleries >> Birds, Birds, Birds >> Non-passeriformes Gallery > Griffon Vulture
previous | next

Griffon Vulture

Scientific name: Gyps fulvus
Order: Falconiformes

Also called Eurasian Griffon Vulture

The Griffon Vulture is the friendliest and most social of the vultures, they are non-territorial. There is some indication that pairs mate for life. They are “home” bodies and do not migrate. They breed on crags in mountains in southern Europe, north Africa, and Asia, laying one egg.

Griffon Vultures may form loose colonies. Nests are always placed on cliffs even when trees are available. They are built of twigs and grass and much excrement, often on the remains of previous years’ nests and are found in a variety of sites, from well-protected rock caves to exposed ledges.

Griffon Vultures relay on vision to search for food. The short down covering the head and neck is easy to keep clean. Dozens of griffon vultures gather by pools of water to bathe and then stand with wings extended to dry out. Built for soaring flight, griffons may cruise for 6 or 7 hours and 100 miles looking for food. When one vulture drops to a carcass, others see it and congregate. It’s not unusual to have 50 vultures waiting around kill for a chance to feed. This relatively weak vulture depends on Lappet Faced Vultures or Maribou Storks to open up fresh carcasses.

Click for more information on this species at Wikipedia
Press the back button on the browser to return to this page

Click for a map of the bird's location
Press the back button on the browser to return to this page

Canon EOS 10D ,Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
1/1000s f/5.6 at 98mm (EF 70-200mm + EF 1.4x TC) ISO 400 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
comment