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The Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey. It is a rare type of vulture eagle, with impressive size and up to a 3 m (118 in) wingspan, and is Europe’s second-largest bird. It can be seen majestically soaring on thermal currents searching for food in the warmer, rugged parts of countries that surround the Mediterranean.
The Griffon vulture has a distinguishing creamy-white ruff, matching the color of its head and neck. Its body and upper wings are pale brown, which contrasts beautifully with its other dark flight feathers and tail, the contrast being most noticeable in young birds, as their upper-wing feathers are particularly pale.
This species has a very large range, across the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, from India to Portugal and Spain, most commonly found in countries that border the Mediterranean. The biggest population is in Spain, being more than three-quarters of the European population. These birds are mostly resident but juveniles and immature individuals may migrate far or embark on long-distance movements. Griffon vultures live in areas of mountains, plateaus, shrubland, grassland, and semi-desert, usually in warm climates, but also in harsher conditions of cold, rain, mist, and snow to secure particularly favorable breeding or foraging conditions. They tend to avoid forests, lakes, wetlands, and marine waters. Requiring high cliffs for roosting, they are found in a range of elevations.
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