Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) lives in temperate forests across Southeastern Europe, Asia. It feeds on carrion and scraps. Its conservation status is Near Threatened.
Fascinating facts about the Cinereous Vulture
- A single cinereous vulture once perched at 6,970 m on Mount Everest. This extreme altitude is possible because the bird's blood contains a specialised haemoglobin alpha-D subunit with high oxygen affinity, letting it extract oxygen where the air is thin.
- Weighing up to 12.5 kg and spanning a 3.1 m wingspan, the cinereous vulture is one of the heaviest flying Old-World raptors, rivaling the Andean condor. A Korean survey of wild birds recorded an average mass of 9.6 kg and a mean length of 113 cm, the only study measuring truly free-flying adults. This massive size underpins its ability to tear tough carcass skins and even break ribs, giving it dominance over other scavengers at feeding sites.
- The species' genome, sequenced in 2015, shows positively selected genes linked to respiration and gastric acid secretion, adaptations that let it digest pathogen-laden carrion safely. By neutralising dangerous microbes, cinereous vultures curb disease spread from carcasses, acting as a natural sanitation service across Eurasia's ecosystems.
- Nesting pairs build colossal platforms up to 2 m wide and 3 m deep, often decorating them with dung and animal skins. These structures grow larger each year, sometimes filling a cliff ledge 3.63 m wide, and protect a single egg that hatches after 50-62 days. Such investment yields a around 90 % hatching success and over half of fledglings surviving to adulthood.
- Globally only about 7,200-10,000 pairs remain, with Spain holding roughly 1,845 pairs, 95 % of Europe's total. Despite legal protection, the species still faces lethal poisoning, poaching, and habitat loss, especially in its western range where many countries have lost breeding populations. Their decline threatens ecosystem health, as fewer vultures mean more disease-laden carcasses for smaller scavengers.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSoutheastern Europe, Asia
HabitatTemperate forests
DietCarrion and scraps
About the Cinereous Vulture
As the cinereous vulture soars through the skies, its broad wings beat with a slow, deliberate rhythm, a masterful display of patience and power. With eyes that scan the landscape like dark, piercing jewels, this majestic bird of prey moves through the world with a quiet purpose, its tawny-brown plumage glistening in the sunlight as it rides the thermal currents with effortless ease. In its stately, unhurried flight, we see a reflection of the vulture's remarkable adaptability, a testament to its enduring presence in a world where its very existence is increasingly threatened.
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