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Griffon vulture

Scientific name:  Gyps Fulvus
Class:  Birds
Continent:  Europe
Habitat:  Sabana
Diet:  Carnívoro
Weight:  6 - 9 kg
Size:  2,35 - 2,38 m
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Meet the Griffon vulture!

The Griffon vulture is one of the largest birds of prey in Europe. Its incredible eyesight allows it to spot dead animals on the ground from a great distance. It then swoops down in wide circles and lands next to them.

It has a series of long white and tawny feathers at the base of its neck, while on the front of its wings and belly, the plumage is light brown. The rest of its body is dark brown. Its hooked beak allows it to tear off large strips of meat with ease. Its gray legs are rather weak, since they are not needed for capturing prey (unlike eagles or hawks).

What are its habits?

This vulture is a gliding rather than flying bird (it barely moves its wings).

The griffon vulture usually flies at altitudes ranging from 1,800 to 3,500 meters above sea level. They are capable of traveling up to 300 kilometers in their search for food, especially when it comes to large mammals.

They live in colonies that sometimes group hundreds of pairs and, in places where the density of specimens is high, they can share nests with other species such as the Egyptian vulture or the bearded vulture. They usually reproduce at the beginning of the year, and do so by incubating a single egg for approximately fifty days. Care of the single chick is shared by male and female, and lasts just over 100 days.

Conservation
Extinct
Extinct in the wild
Critically endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Near threatened
Least concern
Insufficient data
Not evaluated

DID YOU KNOW ...

This species has been linked to man's pastoral activity since the ancient inhabitants of our peninsula became ranchers, although their health work has been somewhat misunderstood.

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Learn more about some of the Zoo's animals in a unique adventure

Learn more about some of the Zoo's animals in a unique adventure