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Eurasian Black Vulture
(Aegypius monachus)
: "Cinereous Vulture", "Black Vulture", "Monk Vulture"
German name(s): "Kuttengeier", "Mönchsgeier"
Size: 1.0-1.2 m; wing span 2.5-3.1 m
Weight: 6.3-11.5 kg (male); 7.5-14 kg (female)
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Eurasian Black Vultures are amongst the largest existing vultures.
They are completely near-black dark brownish-grey, with underwing
coverts that are darker yet than the rest of the
plumage.
Only the crown and the base of the hooked bill are pale in
adults;
in juveniles
these are also dark.
The flesh-coloured feet are clearly visible in flight; they do
not protrude beyond the tip of the broad tail. As in other
vultures, the wings are broad with long primary "fingers".
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Eurasian
Black Vulture at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Eurasian Black Vulture is available
HERE
.
Eurasian Black Vultures occur at mostly subtropical latitudes
across a wide range across Eurasia, from Iberia in the West
via the Mediterranean, parts of Asia Minor and the Middle East,
to central Asia and the Korean peninsula in the East.
Across that range they are mostly sedentary; only around the
Himalayas there are migratory populations that spend the
winters at lower altitude than the breeding seasons.
Across much of their range, in southern and south-eastern
Europe, Asia Minor and central Asia (eastern China) their
distribution is uncertain.
In Europe, apart from a few sites in the Alps and the Balkans,
Eurasian Black Vultures are primarily found in large parts of
Iberia, on Mallorca, in parts of southern France and in eastern
Greece/southern Bulgaria.
Eurasian Black Vultures have a preference for hilly or mountainous
terrain, including relatively flat highlands such as central Spain,
where they search for carrion mostly in relatively open terrain, such
as grassland, steppe or sparsely vegetated mountain/hill slopes,
often in semi-arid to arid landscapes.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
J. Pires reports spotting Eurasian Black
Vultures occasionally near Mora, Evora, Portugal - in 2014 and 2018,
and again in the timeframe May/June 2020. The species was also found
at the Montargil Dam, near Mora, Evora, Portugal and at Arraiolos,
Portugal.
More Eurasian Black Vultures were found at Embalse de Los
Canchales, near Montijo, Spain, in December 2019.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this
page has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Close-up frontal/ventral view of a Eurasian Black Vulture in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Embalse de Los Canchales, near Montijo, Spain, December 2019]
Frontal/ventral view of a Eurasian Black Vulture in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, 2018]
Near-frontal/ventral view of a Eurasian Black Vulture in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2022]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a Eurasian Black Vulture in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of a Eurasian Black Vulture in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, 2014]
Lateral/ventral view of a Eurasian Black Vulture in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Eurasian Black Vulture in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Embalse de Los Canchales, near Montijo, Spain, December 2019]
Dorsal view of a Eurasian Black Vulture trying to gain height
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2020]
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Food, Diet |
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Carcass of a sheep left behind by a mob of
Griffon Vultures
and Eurasian Black Vultures
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2013]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.