Griffon Vulture

Habitat: Rugged landscapes, such as steppes and semi-deserts with rock faces, in mountainous regions rich in carrion.

Appearance: Largely confined to mountains in southern Europe, but also found in nearby lowlands.

Breeding season: January to September, usually nesting in crevices in steep rock faces, one egg per year.

Characteristics: Length 102 cm, wingspan 248 cm, weight 6-11 kg, lifespan 20 years.

Food: Usually carrion in decomposition, but sometimes also fresh carrion. They spend the whole day circling at high altitudes, and when they see something to their liking, they swoop down. If one descends, the others follow. The griffon vulture is exceptionally shy when it comes to carrion. However, once the meal has begun, fierce fights break out, which are always won by the hungriest. In this way, the vultures become satiated one by one. They stuff themselves so full of food that they can hardly fly. Griffon vultures first tear open the body cavity of the carcass and then devour the intestines. They then hollow out the body from the inside until only the skin, tendons and bones remain.