Black Vulture

The Cinereous Vulture is one of Europe's largest birds of prey, with a wingspan of more than 2.5 metres. Its feathers are all dark, looking almost black from a distance. Adult birds have a pale blue-grey head with few feathers and a noticeable collar of dark feathers around the base of the neck. Its large bill is grey with a darker tip. This bird breeds in mountainous areas across southern Europe, central Asia, and parts of the Middle East. It usually builds its nests in trees rather than on cliffs. It lives in open areas such as grasslands, dry plains, and mountain slopes, where it can find dead animals while flying high in the sky. When flying, the vulture holds its wide wings flat or in a slight V shape. Its head looks small and sticks out a bit. The short, wedge-shaped tail helps to tell it apart from other large vultures.