Photograph of Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Torrejón el Rubio, Cáceres, Spain

Griffon Vulture

Gyps fulvus

Griffon Vulture

Gyps fulvus

6photos
While I've seen these guys plenty, always soaring high, I've only photographed them once. It was in Extremadura, both in the Monfragüe National Park that so famous for them, but also an education center just outside of it. While they look very gruesome and their general behaviour lives up to their looks, they are also extremely characterful birds. It's probably just the human brain projecting, but it looks like they always have something on their minds. They are endlessly entertaining to watching, ever bickering and sometimes robustly. Like all good characters, they'll also suprise you - I saw two sharing a tender moment nuzzling each other amid all the carnage and chaos.