Eurasian Griffon Gyps fulvus Scientific name definitions

“May we not conjecture that the process is as follows? - The Griffon who first descries his quarry descends from his elevation at once. Another, sweeping the horizon at a still greater distance, observes his neighbour’s movements and follows his course. A third, still further removed, follows the flight of the second; he is traced by another; and so a perpetual succession is kept up as long as a morsel of flesh remains over which to consort. I can conceive no other mode of accounting for the numbers of Vultures which in the course of a few hours will gather over a carcasse, when previously the horizon might have been scanned in vain for more than one, or at the most two, in sight”—H. B. Tristram (1 Tristram, H. B. (1859). On the ornithology of Northern Africa. Ibis 1:277–301. Close ).

The Eurasian Griffon is a large vulture with a relatively long neck, heavy bill, buff-colored ruff, and pale-brown body that contrasts sharply with its darker flight and tail feathers; a difference that is best appreciated when the bird is soaring on thermals in search of food. Like most vultures, it is an obligate scavenger that feeds primarily on the carcasses of domestic or wild ungulates. When a group gathers at a carcass, individuals constantly squabble to maintain prime feeding positions. Access to the food is dictated by a despotic dominance hierarchy: adults are dominant over subadults, which are in turn dominant over juveniles. Despite these aggressive conflicts during feeding, the Eurasian Griffon is a social species. Most adults appear to be sedentary; staying close to breeding colonies throughout the year. Migration, when it occurs, predominantly involves juveniles and immatures, which move south in the nonbreeding period and then return to their original colonies during the breeding period.

A monogamous species, the Eurasian Griffon usually nests in small colonies of 20 pairs or less (although colonies over 100 pairs have been recorded). Nests are typically sited on cliffs, or less frequently, in trees, or on mounds. Aerial courtship displays occur from mid-September through mid-December, with egg laying taking place from November–April (although the exact timing varies with latitude). Females typically lay a single egg, rarely two, and replacement clutches may be laid if the first clutch is lost. The male and female switch off incubating the eggs for a period of 49–65 days, with hatching occurring from mid-February through the end of April. Fledging occurs from early June till the end of August, when young are at an age of 97–136 days old. Birds generally breed for the first time when they are 4–6 years of age, though there is significant individual variation.

The Eurasian Griffon is a long-lived bird, with a maximum life span of at least 35 years in the wild. Despite significant declines in the 1900s, Eurasian Griffon populations have seemingly rebounded in many parts of Europe. Reintroduction efforts have helped significantly, and supplemental feeding stations have been recognized to be positive for conservation efforts, though recent studies warn of uncontrolled effects that can alter natural processes in vulture populations. While the Eurasian Griffon is now protected in numerous countries, threats still remain across its range, mainly due to poisoning, collision with wind turbines and power lines, electrocution, and illegal killing.