Griffon vulture

The Griffon Vulture is a mountain dweller, but in the Alps only a summer guest. It breeds in inaccessible rock niches and is a colony breeder (that means, the sleeping place is also breeding place). The griffon vulture is sociable when eating and breeding and lives monogamous. At the age of 4 or 5 years the plumage has its final color. It reaches sexual maturity between the 4th and the 7th year of life. Although it can only take off with a starting, he flies very elegantly and almost without moving the wings through the air. The griffon vulture is quite quiet, only at the mating season it lets out croaky, grunting and whistling sounds.

Species name: griffon vulture
Scientific name: Gyps fulvus
Class: birds
Order: birds of prey
Family: Hawk-like
Weight: up to 11 kg
Characteristics: Long, white neck, therefore griffon vulture (neck like goose).
Life expectancy: about 55 years
Enemies: no natural enemies
Mating time: March
Clutch: 1 egg
Breeding time: 55 days
Food: scavengers, muscle meat and intestines

Did you know, that ...
griffon vultures can see a carcass from a height of 3000 m?