Old World Vultures - Griffons
Gyps fulvus
Distribution: Iberia, Turkey through to Northern India, Southwest Arabia
Physical Appearance: Face is covered in grey skin, with white down at the back of the head and around the neck. Plumage is primarily brown tapering darker near the wing-tips, with a white ruff around the neck and legs.
Wingspan: 2.3 – 2.8 m
Mass: 6.5 – 11.3 kg
CS: Least Concern
Eurasian Vulture
Gyps bengalensis
Distribution: India
Physical Appearance: Head is covered in naked pinkish grey skin with white down along the nape. Plumage is primarily black, with the wing’s underside and the ruff around the neck being white.
Wingspan: 1.8 – 2.6 m
Mass: 3.5 – 7.5 kg
CS: Critically Endangered
Fun Fact: Before it became Critically Endangered, it was considered to be the most numerous large bird of prey on the planet.
White-Rumped Vulture
Gyps indicus
Distribution: India
Physical Appearance: Head covered in dark-grey skin with white down at the back of the head. Plumage is brown, tapering darker near the tail, with a white breast and ruff around the neck and on the legs.
Wingspan: 2 – 2.4 m
Mass: 5.5 – 6.3 kg
CS: Critically Endangered
Indian Vulture
Gyps tenuirostris
Distribution: India to Mainland Southeast Asia
Physical Appearance: Slender neck and head covered in grey skin with almost no down present. Primary plumage is dark brown, tapering darker near the tail, with a white breast and ruff around the neck and on the legs.
Wingspan: 2 – 2.6 m
Mass: 4 – 7 kg
CS: Critically Endangered
Fun Fact: Was formally considered merely a subspecies of Indian vulture.
Slender-Billed Vulture
Gyps coprotheres
Distribution: Southern Africa
Physical Appearance: Face is covered in dark-grey skin with white down at the back of the head and the neck. Main plumage is a creamy off-white, with the wing feathers tapering first to brown than to a blackish-brown.
Wingspan: 2.3 – 2.6 m
Mass: 7 – 11 kg
CS: Vulnerable
Cape Vulture
Gyps rueppelli
Distribution: Central Africa
Physical Appearance: Head is covered in featherless grey skin. Plumage is mottled cream and dark brown, with dark undersides of the wings and a white ruff around the neck and legs.
Wingspan: 2.3 – 2.6 m
Mass: 6.4 – 9 kg
CS: Critically Endangered
Fun Fact: Holds the record for the highest flying bird, with it reaching heights of over 11.3k metres.
Rüppell’s Vulture
Gyps africanus
Distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa
Physical Appearance: Face is covered in dark-grey skin with white down at the back of the head and around the neck. Main plumage is cream while the flight feathers and tail are a blackish-brown.
Wingspan: 2 – 2.25 m
Mass: 4.2 – 7.2 kg
CS: Critically Endangered
White-Backed Vulture
Gyps himalayensis
Distribution: Central Asia
Physical Appearance: Face is covered with pale skin, with thick white down at the back of the head and around the neck. Plumage is a pale brown streaked with white with a long ruff around the neck. Feathers on the wings tapper to blackish-brown.
Wingspan: 2.6 – 3.1 m
Mass: 8 – 12 kg
CS: Near Threatened