Cinereous Vulture (Black Eurasian Vulture) photographed in the region of Extremadura in Spain. Extremadura is situated north and inland from Andalucia and east of the border with Portugal. The Cinereous Vulture is the largest European vulture, and one of the heaviest and largest raptors in the world, with its wingspan almost reaching 3 metres. The Cinereous Vulture faced a dramatic decline in Europe, but thanks to the increase of the Spanish population, the species is making a comeback in other parts of Europe, from Portugal to France and Bulgaria. They feed on carrion, often smaller than the Griffon Vulture. The vulture nests in trees and sometimes on cliffs. Like most other vultures, they are monogamous. Couples build huge nests that are reused each year. Eggs hatch in 50-55 days. Cinereous vultures have a specialised type of haemoglobin in their blood, allowing them to effectively absorb oxygen even at great heights. On thermal winds they ‘float’ to these great heights in search of carcasses.
