Description
The Griffon vulture is the second largest European bird of prey, with a wingspan of well over 2.5 metres. In addition to its size, it is recognised by its very long and broad wings with clearly visible primary feathers, a very short tail, a light brown body and part of the wings, and a light head. It feeds almost exclusively on carrion, and nests in rock ledges or crevices. It nests in colonies.
Prevalence
The Griffon vulture is widespread in the Mediterranean, North Africa and SW Asia. It does not breed in Slovenia, but it regularly flies over the SW part of the country, as individuals from the breeding colonies on Cres regularly visit feeding grounds in the NE part of Italy. In Slovenia, they are most easily observed over the slopes of Volovja Rebra and Breginjski Stol.
Threat
The species is most commonly affected by human-caused poisoning. Often the target species is not the Griffon vulture, but rather various types of carnivores that humans feed poisoned carrion to.
In sensitive areas (exposed ridges) where vultures use thermals to soar, they are also severely threatened by the construction of wind farms. Therefore, one of the main goals of the project is to establish a safe migration corridor for vultures and other birds of prey.
Interesting fact
The extremely acidic stomach acid that Griffon vultures have in their stomachs allows them to easily ingest extremely potent pathogens such as anthrax and cholera while feeding on carrion. In doing so, they also break down and remove these dangerous substances from the environment.
