LIFE Vultures

Black vulture

Markus Varesvuo / Wild Wonders of Europe

LIFE Vultures

Black vulture

Biology and ecology

Staffan Widstrand / Rewilding Europe

Black vulture is a resident species that forages over many kinds of open terrain including forest, open grasslands and bare mountains. Black vulture selects its nesting habitat in undisturbed areas, in mature vegetation patches. Nests are built in trees, often aggregated in loose colonies or nuclei. Its diet consists mainly of carrion from medium-sized or large mammal carcasses. Black vulture searches for food either in groups or individually, sometimes joining the Griffon vulture groups.

Markus Varesvuo / Wild Wonders of Europe

It lays its eggs during the December-January period depending on the climate peculiarities of the season. The young birds are hatched in February or March and are not leaving the nest untill the end of July or August. The nests form a loose colonies. In Dadia Forest, in the Greek part of the Easthern Rhodopes, the Black vulture lays its unique egg during mid-January – mid March period depending on the climate peculiarities of the year. The young birds are hatched in end April-beginning of May period and are not leaving the nest until the mid – end August. The Black vultures build their nests on very mature pine-trees located on extremely steep slopes or gullies.

Markus Varesvuo / Wild Wonders of Europe

Usually there is a rock or big tree to it used for a close scrutiny of the whole region.The young birds stay with their parents and live in families until they reach maturity. Occasionally they do far-reached wandering migrations and reach maturity on their sixth year.

Conservation status

Black vulture is classified as Near Threatened (NT) in the IUCN Red List.

Threats

Poisoning after illegal use of poison baits targeted at large carnivores (e.g. wolves, jackals) to protect livestock and game

Lead poisoning by hunting ammunition, effect of veterinary drug contamination

Reduced food availability

Direct persecution

Electrocution end collision caused by electric transfer networks or collision at wind mills

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.