Small, compared to the size of the body, the head and the upper part of the neck are not feathered, and are covered only with a thin down. The rest of the body is covered with a brown feather, which has a reddish tint on the belly. 

Social behavior

Griffon Vulture live in small colonies of 10-50 individuals, which helps them find prey. If one bird finds a corpse, others quickly flock to it. The largest male begins to feed first, followed by all the others, which indicates a clear hierarchy.

Reproduction

The birds make their nests on rocky ledges or in the niches of cliffs, where it is impossible to get from the ground. Mating in white-headed barn owls occurs in early spring. The female lays one, less often two eggs, which the parents alternately incubate for 1.5-2 months. The chicks appear completely helpless and are under the care of the male and female for 6-7 months. 

Species and people

Today, in Western Europe, the white-headed vulture is on the verge of extinction. And the reason for this was the man, or rather, his prejudices. Since the Middle Ages, there has been a popular belief that the sepoys are the vehicles of the forces of evil, carry dangerous diseases, steal children and kill sheep on pastures. But this is only a belief, because Griffon Vultures not only do not attack live sheep, not to mention people and children, but do not even approach sick animals.

In ancient Egypt, white-headed barn owls were destroyed for the sake of flight feathers, which were used to decorate luxury items. To date, the main threat is cases of intentional and intentional poisoning. 

Interesting Facts

Griffon Vultures are nurses of mountain and foothill areas. They eat the corpses of animals and gnaw them so carefully that there is not a single piece on the bones where pathogenic dangerous microorganisms could multiply.

Griffon Vulturme can live without food for a long time.