Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Europese Aasvoël |
| Albanian | Shkaba |
| Arabic | نسر اسمر اوراسي |
| Armenian | Սպիտակագլուխ անգղ |
| Asturian | Utre comñn |
| Azerbaijani | Ağbaş kərkəs |
| Basque | Sai arrea |
| Bulgarian | Белоглав лешояд |
| Catalan | voltor comú |
| Chinese (SIM) | 兀鹫 |
| Croatian | bjeloglavi sup |
| Czech | sup bělohlavý |
| Danish | Gåsegrib |
| Dutch | Vale Gier |
| English | Eurasian Griffon |
| English (India) | Eurasian Griffon (Griffon Vulture) |
| English (Kenya) | Eurasian Griffon Vulture |
| English (UK) | Griffon Vulture |
| English (United States) | Eurasian Griffon |
| Finnish | hanhikorppikotka |
| French | Vautour fauve |
| French (France) | Vautour fauve |
| Galician | Voitre común |
| German | Gänsegeier |
| Greek | Όρνιο |
| Hebrew | נשר מקראי |
| Hungarian | Fakó keselyű |
| Icelandic | Gæsagammur |
| Italian | Grifone |
| Japanese | シロエリハゲワシ |
| Latvian | Baltgalvas grifs |
| Lithuanian | Palšasis grifas |
| Malayalam | ജടായു |
| Mongolian | Ухаа хажир |
| Norwegian | gåsegribb |
| Persian | دال معمولی |
| Polish | sęp płowy |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Grifo-comum |
| Romanian | Vultur sur |
| Russian | Белоголовый сип |
| Serbian | Beloglavi sup |
| Slovak | sup bielohlavý |
| Slovenian | Beloglavi jastreb |
| Spanish | Buitre Leonado |
| Spanish (Spain) | Buitre leonado |
| Swedish | gåsgam |
| Turkish | Kızıl Akbaba |
| Ukrainian | Сип білоголовий |
Revision Notes
Alfredo Salvador evaluated and updated the entire account, as possible.
Gyps fulvus (Hablizl, 1783)
Definitions
- GYPS
- gyps
- fulvum / fulvus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Eurasian Griffon Gyps fulvus Scientific name definitions
Version: 5.0 — Published March 22, 2024
Photos from this Account
Adult
Adult
Immature
Adult
Adult
Immature
Adult
(with Cinereous Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, and White-rumped Vulture)
Adult Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvescens).
Possible confusion species: Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis).
Himalayan Griffon is bigger, has whitish underwing coverts resulting in a stronger contrast with the black remiges.
Possible confusion species: Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis).
Himalayan Griffon has whitish back.
Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvescens).
Possible confusion species: White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis).
White-rumped Vulture is smaller and blackish; its underwing coverts are white, with a narrow, blackish leading edge that strongly contrast with the flight feathers.
Possible confusion species: White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis).
White-rumped Vulture has lower back and rump white.
Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvescens).
Possible confusion species: Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris).
Slender-billed Vulture is smaller and has head and neck blackish, and is darker above than the Eurasian Griffon.
Possible confusion species: Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris).
Slender-billed Vulture showing its blackish head and neck.
Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvescens).
Possible confusion species: Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus).
Indian Vulture is smaller and has head and neck dark gray.
Possible confusion species: Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus).
Indian Vulture showing its head and neck dark gray.
Rüppell's Griffon (left) and Eurasian Griffon (right).
Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
Possible confusion species: White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus).
White-backed Vulture is smaller, has short wings and a very slim body; greater coverts and primary coverts are dull black and the upperwing is a plain, uniform sandy brown.
Possible confusion species: White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus).
White-backed Vulture neck skin is black with yellow patches.
Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
Possible confusion species: Rüppell's Griffon (Gyps rueppelli).
Rüppell's Griffon is slightly smaller, has relatively short wings and a slim body; greater coverts and primary coverts are black with pale tips without a lateral fringe; upperwing is scaled with series of black pale-tipped feathers; neck skin is deep red with blue patches.
Possible confusion species: Rüppell's Griffon (Gyps rueppelli).
Rüppell's Griffon has dark underwings with little contrast between flight feathers and coverts, although the coverts do have narrow pale edges, creating a scaled appearance.
Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
Possible confusion species: Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus).
Cinereous Vulture is larger with broader wings; coloration is darker and more uniform than in the Eurasian Griffon.
Juvenile Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
Juvenile is characterized by head and neck covered by short white down, the ruff on lower hindneck with lanceolated brown feathers. Upperwing median and lesser coverts and upperparts are pale brown to rufous-brown with pale shaft streaks; these feathers are elongated and attenuated at the tips. Note also the dark bill and iris.
Juvenile Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
Primaries, secondaries, and rectrices are uniform in wear and narrower than basic feathers, not showing mixed generations of remiges or molt clines. The iris is dark but the bill tip is beginning to pale.
Juvenile ventral view (subspecies fulvus).
Ruff with lanceolated brown feathers. Primaries, secondaries, and rectricesuniform in wear and narrower than basic feathers, not showing mixed generations of remiges or molt clines. Underwing coverts primarily light brown with pale shaft streaks, the greater coverts whitish and with dark centers to the inner feathers.
Formative Eurasian Griffon undergoing Second Prebasic Molt (subspecies fulvus).
The medium-fresh newer back feathers may be formative, supporting the presence of a limited preformative molt and formative plumage in some individuals (see text). The second prebasic molt has commenced, with p1-p2 new and p3-p4 dropped; the remaining remiges are worn juvenile feathers. This is typically too early in a prebasic molt for these newer back feathers also to have been replaced. Note also that the juvenile ruff feathers are elongated but very worn, yet to be molted. The bill is dark.
Eurasian Griffon undergoing Second or Third Prebasic Molt (subspecies fulvus).
The inner four primaries have been replaced, p5 is dropped, and p6-p10 are juvenile. The much fresher p4 than p3 indicates either a suspension in the molt or that this is the third prebasic molt following replacement; the dark iris and bill and attenuated tawny ruff feathers might suggest the former. Note also that s5, s12, and the tertials and adjacent secondaries have been replaced, supporting the presence of a node at s12 in this species and perhaps other large raptors (see Molts).
Eurasian Griffon undergoing Third Prebasic Molt (subspecies fulvus).
The inner six primaries are new or growing and p7-p10 are juvenile. In July this indicates commencement of the third prebasic molt beginning at p5 or p6. Replaced secondaries include s1, s5-s7, s10. s12, and s14 inwards. Rectrices appear to be basic with r2 and r5 on each side juvenile. These patterns follow typical molt sequences (see Molts). The ruff appears to be mixed beige and tawny according with a bird of this age (three-yr-old).
Fourth to Seventh Basic Eurasian Griffons (subspecies fulvus).
Fourth to seventh or later basic plumages resembles Definitive Basic Plumage except that the neck ruffs are largely beige as opposed to tawny and elongated as in younger birds or white as in older birds. Primaries and secondaries are basic and show varying generations and levels of wear reflecting Stafelmauser, as in older birds. Iris and bill colors gradually become paler.
Definitive Basic Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
The neck ruff consists of short white feathers. Basic flight feathers show mixed generations, those of the primaries and secondaries reflecting Staffelmauser. The bill is paler yellowish gray and the iris is hazel to yellow.
Definitive Basic Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
Three sets of primaries (defined by a newer feather being proximal to an older feather) are visible reflecting Staffelmauser molt patters, p1, p2-p7, and p8-p10. Secondaries are also mixed with two or three generations of basic feathers. Note also the paler yellowish-gray bill and hazel to yellow iris.
Juvenile Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
Note the the dark bill and iris. The cere and facial skin are gray.
Adult Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
Note the pale yellow bill and iris. The cere is deep gray and the facial skin is bluish gray.
Subadult Eurasian Griffon (subspecies fulvus).
The mixed white and beige neck ruff indicates a bird 5-8 years of age. At these ages the iris and bill color gradually becomes paler and yellower. At all ages the tarsi and feet are brownish-gray to dirty blue-gray with black-gray claws.
Dorsal view (subspecies fulvus).
Ventral view (subspecies fulvus).
Frontal view (subspecies fulvus).
Definitive Basic (in front) and immature (behind) (subspecies fulvescens).
Presumed Definitive Basic frontal view (subspecies fulvescens).
Immature ventral view (subspecies fulvescens).
Three vultures resting on the top of a cliff.
Birds at a garbage dump.
Five birds foraging.
Adult collecting nest material.
Adult collecting nest material.
Adult collecting nest material.
Macaulay Library Photos for Eurasian Griffon
Top-rated photos submitted to the Macaulay Library via eBird. Note: Our content editors have not confirmed the species identification for these photos.
