Cinereous Vulture

The Cinereous Vulture is a massive, dark brown to blackish vulture and one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. Its head is covered in short, down-like feathers rather than being fully bare, giving it a darker-headed appearance than many other vultures, with bluish-grey bare skin on the face and a ruff of dark feathers around the neck.

Broad, rectangular "barn-door" wings and a relatively short tail give it a distinctive flat, heavy silhouette when soaring.

Key Field Marks

• Huge overall size and uniformly dark, blackish-brown plumage
• Broad, parallel-edged wings held flat or slightly bowed in soaring flight
• Short tail
• Bluish-grey bare facial skin with a downy, dark head

Similar Species

• Griffon Vulture — smaller, paler sandy-brown body, holds wings in a shallow V while soaring, and has a paler head and neck ruff

The Cinereous Vulture is both larger and noticeably darker than the Griffon Vulture throughout their overlapping range.

Range

From the Iberian Peninsula and Balkans through Central Asia to Mongolia, Korea, and China.

Habitat

Mountainous and hilly terrain with nearby open country for foraging — forested hills, steppe, and semi-desert.

Movements

Western populations are largely resident; eastern populations are more migratory, wintering further south in areas such as Korea and China.

Feeding

Often arrives at carcasses after Griffon Vultures but dominates feeding due to its size and strength, capable of tearing tougher carcass parts that other vultures cannot. Also known to search actively for food rather than relying solely on cues from other scavengers.

Nesting and Breeding

Unlike most vultures, which nest on cliffs, the Cinereous Vulture typically builds a large stick nest high in trees. Pairs are monogamous, laying a single egg per season, with a long breeding cycle before the chick becomes independent.

Voice

Generally silent, giving occasional hisses or grunts, mainly at carcasses or the nest.