Cinereous Vulture

 The cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) is a large raptor in the family Accipitridae and distributed through much of temperate Eurasia. It is also known as the black vulture, monk vulture and Eurasian black vulture. With a body length of 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in), 3.1 m (10 ft) across the wings and a maximum weight of 14 kg (31 lb), it is the largest Old World vulture and largest member of the Accipitridae family.

 The cinereous vulture measures 98–120 cm (3 ft 3 in – 3 ft 11 in) in total length with a 2.5–3.1 m (8 ft 2 in – 10 ft 2 in) wingspan. Males can weigh from 6.3 to 11.5 kg (14 to 25 lb), whereas females can weigh from 7.5 to 14 kg (17 to 31 lb). It is thus one of the world's heaviest flying birds. Average weights are not known to have been published for this species but the median weight figures from two sources were 9.42 kg (20.8 lb) and 9.55 kg (21.1 lb).

The cinereous vulture is a Eurasian species. The western limits of its range are in Spain and inland Portugal, with a reintroduced population in south France. They are found discontinuously to Greece, Turkey and throughout the central Middle East. Their range continues through Afghanistan eastwards to northern India to its eastern limits in central Asia, where they breed in northern Manchuria, Mongolia and Korea. Their range is fragmented especially throughout their European range. It is generally a permanent resident except in those parts of its range where hard winters cause limited altitudinal movement and for juveniles when they reach breeding maturity. In the eastern limits of its range, birds from the northernmost reaches may migrate down to southern Korea and China. A limited migration has also been reported in the Middle East but is not common.


This vulture is a bird of hilly, mountainous areas, especially favoring dry semi-open habitats such as meadows at high altitudes over much of the range. Nesting usually occurs near the tree line in the mountains.

IUCN Status: Near Threatened 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinereous_vulture

https://denverzoo.org/animals/cinereous-vulture/

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/wildbirds/action_plans/docs/aegypius_monachus.pdf

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/air-india-flies-endangered-vulture-from-chennai-to-jodhpur/articleshow/95305326.cms

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/kanyakumari-vultures-to-be-flown-to-jodhpur/articleshow/95217851.cms

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