Griffon Vulture

(gyps fulvus)

Vultures are regarded with distaste by many people, but they fulfil a vital role as nature's vacuum cleaners. Animals which die or fall victim to predators are quickly removed by vultures, which specialise in eating different parts of the carcass.

The disappearance of game animals; more sanitary livestock husbandry, which requires dead animals to be removed; and poison bait set out for predators have all contributed to the demise of these birds over western and central Europe and the sharp decline in numbers over southern Europe and southern Africa. However, they continue to thrive in the mountains of Spain, northern Africa, the Near East, central Asia, and the Himalayas, where they are still a common species.

Griffon vultures are social birds, nesting and roosting together in scattered communities. Their vision is outstanding, enabling them to see carrion from a long way off and also allowing them to watch the behaviour of others vultures descending onto a food source.

They have large beaks, but these are not strong enough to rip through the tough outer hide of bodies, so they must wait for other vultures to do this job. Their long, bare necks indicate that these birds feed inside the carcass, the lack of feathers helping to ensure they keep clean.