Cinereous Vulture

Habitat: Mainly in mountainous areas, nowhere numerous and on the verge of extinction in Europe.

Appearance: All year round in southern Europe.

Breeding season: Does not breed every year, begins in March and lasts approximately 55 days. Breeds in trees and each breeding season the nest is raised higher, reaching a diameter of 2 m and a height of 1 m. The clutch consists of a single white egg, sometimes with red spots.

Characteristics: Length 105 cm, wingspan 270 cm, weight 6500 – 1400 grams. In captivity, a monk vulture can live up to 39 years.

Food: Unlike the Egyptian vulture, the Cinereous Vulture specialises in muscle meat. It even tears the skin to pieces and devours it. It regurgitates the hair as a ball. When it discovers a dead animal while circling at high altitude, it swoops down with its wings closed and its legs hanging down. The remains of rabbits, ground squirrels, turtles and lizards are regularly found in its nest.