Copyright monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Verdon • August 2009 Sep 2010

Bird name: Griffon Vulture
Latin: Gyps fulvus
Other: Eurasian Griffon Vulture • Vautour fauve (Fr) • Buitre leonado (Es) • Grifone (It)
Family: Accipitridae • Old World Vultures, Birds of Prey
Range: Southern Europe into Middle East and northern India
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The Griffon Vulture is a very large old world vulture with a two-and-a-half-metre wingspan - so quite a bit larger than a Golden Eagle.

These magnificent scavengers have been successfully reintroduced in the Gorges of Verdon, in the South of France. In the summer some of the Verdon vultures move a little further east to the Mercantour region.

They are scattered throughout southern Europe, having been successfully reintroduced in several locations, and are found in larger numbers in central Asia and northern India.

The Griffon Vulture can be distinguished from the Black Vulture by its light coverts, the triangular area from the shoulder along the frontmost part of the wing. The tail of these European vultures appears proportionally short when compared to the Golden Eagle and other smaller birds of prey.

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Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Verdon, April 2010

Bird name: Red Billed Chough
Latin: Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Other: Chough • Crave à bec rouge (Fr) • Chova piquirroja (Es) • Gracchio corallino (It) • Alpenkrähe (De)
Family: Corvidae • Crows, Choughs
Range:
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The Red-billed Chough, or simply Chough, is not common in central Europe but can be found in scattered populations.

A large group was seen here in the Gorges du Verdon, at 1200m, where they live on the vertical walls of the gorge - a good place to see them in France.

The range of the Chough extends all the way from Spain to the eastern Himalayas, with a few colonies in Africa.

Choughs are typically high mountain birds, but will breed on steep rock walls even on the coast.

They can be distinguished from the similar Alpine Chough by their red (not yellow) bills, although juvenile Choughs have yellow bills. Choughs’ bills are long and curved. Feet are also red.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Verdon Apr 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Black Vulture
Latin: Aegypius monachus
Other: Cinereous Vulture, Monk Vulture, Eurasian Black Vulture • Vautour moine (Fr) • Buitre negro (Es) • Avvoltoio monaco (It)
Family: Accipitridae • Old World Vultures, Birds of Prey
Range:
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A program for reintroducing the Black Vulture in the Gorges du Verdon was started in 2005. So far about a dozen have been released. I saw this one a couple of days ago.

The Black Vulture’s range extends from Spain, in the west, to the eastern Himalayas, with a notable absence in most of central and eastern Europe, where it is being reintroduced in several locations.

Although not very clear from this distant photo, the Black Vulture has dark markings on the face, and unlike the Griffon Vulture, no lighter coverts. The tail of these European vultures appears proportionally short when compared to the Golden Eagle and other smaller birds of prey.

The Black Vulture, also called Cinereous Vulture or Monk Vulture, is one of the largest birds of prey in the world, with close to a three-metre wingspan. It is dominant at feeding sites.

The Andean Condor is only slightly larger and not in the same family grouping. This Eurasian Black Vulture, an Old-World Vulture, is also not directly related to the similarly named American Black Vulture, which, like the Condor, is a New World Vulture.

The Black Vulture is classed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Egyptian Vulture
Latin: Neophron percnopterus
Other: Percnoptère (Fr), Vautour percnoptère • Alimoche (Es), Guirre, Buitre egipcio • Capovaccaio (It)
Family: Accipitridae • Old World Vultures, Birds of Prey
Range:
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The Egyptian Vulture is a small vulture found in small numbers from southwestern Europe to Asia.

Instantly recognisable by its yellow bill and, in flight, diamond-shaped tail.

The Egyptian Vulture is classed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.More photos...