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Cinereous Vulture
Aegypius monachus
Identify the Cinereous Vulture by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.
The Cinereous Vulture is a massive Old World vulture found across much of temperate Eurasia, from Spain and the Balkans to Central Asia and Mongolia. Cloaked in very dark brown plumage with a paler, downy head and a huge bill, it soars on broad, barn-door wings. As a top scavenger it plays a vital role in cleaning up carcasses and limiting the spread of disease.
Did you know?
- It is one of the largest birds of prey in the world, with a wingspan approaching three metres.
- Despite its name and colour, it is only distantly related to the American Black Vulture.
About the species
Identification
A huge, very dark brown vulture with broad, long, parallel-edged wings with deeply fingered tips and a short, slightly wedge-shaped tail. The head is covered in pale down, and the face shows bluish-pink skin; the bill is massive. It looks almost uniformly dark in flight, unlike Griffon Vulture with its pale body and wing coverts.
Family
Accipitridae
Size
Very large (swan)
Colours
brown, black, grey, blue
About the habitat
Open and semi-open landscapes with little disturbance – mountain forests, hills, steppe and semi-desert – where it can forage over large areas.
Diet
Carrion, especially of medium-sized and large mammals; its powerful bill tears tough hides and muscle. It occasionally takes live prey such as small mammals or reptiles.
Behaviour
A soaring scavenger that rides thermals on very broad wings with slow, buoyant flight. It finds carcasses by sight and by watching other scavengers and usually dominates other vultures at a carcass. It nests in trees or on cliffs, building a huge stick nest, and lays a single egg.
Sources
Photo: Juan Lacruz, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buitre negro (1).jpg
Text: Wikipedia (English), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinereous_vulture
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