Diet
Orbi mainly feeds on the carcasses of large domestic and wild mammals. It does not usually hunt large live animals. Poisoned carcasses endanger orbi and other animals that eat them. Do not lure the bird with food.
Griffon vulture
Gyps fulvus
Close to wildlife
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 93–122 cm
- Diet
- Carrion
- Status in Georgia
- Resident and migrant
- Habitat
- Cliffs and open country
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Conservation
- VU / IUCN LC
Gyps fulvus is a large bird that feeds on carrion and nests in groups on cliffs. It nests in Georgia and is found there year-round. Migrating birds are also seen there. It has a light brown body, dark feathers on its wings and a short tail. An ordinary encounter poses no danger to people, but keep away from its nests and the places where these birds nest in groups. Globally, it faces a low risk of extinction, but Georgia’s current Red List considers it at risk of extinction.
Identification
How to identify Griffon vulture
The griffon vulture is a large bird with a pale body, dark flight feathers and a short tail. Adults also have a pale collar. According to the 2024 list, it nests in Georgia and stays year-round; it is also seen during migration. It can be mistaken for other birds: the cinereous vulture, bearded vulture, Egyptian vulture and golden eagle.
Its body is about 93–122 cm long, with a wingspan of 2.3–2.8 m. Its head and neck are covered in short down; adults have a pale collar. The body is pale sandy brown, while the flight feathers and tail feathers are dark. In flight, its long, broad wings with splayed tips and short tail are visible. It often holds its wings in a slight V shape. Males and females look alike, though females are usually larger.
A young one has a browner collar and a more mottled back. It develops adult coloration over several years.
Aegypius monachus is uniformly dark. It has a short tail that narrows toward the tip and often holds its wings flatter in flight. Gypaetus barbatus has narrow wings, a long diamond-shaped tail and a rust-colored body. Adults also have a black “beard.” Neophron percnopterus is much smaller. Adults are white, with black feathers on their wings and a yellow face. Aquila chrysaetos has a long tail, a golden nape and feathered legs; it hunts live prey.
A large bird seen near a group of birds on a cliff, with a pale body and dark feathers on its wings, is more likely a vulture than an eagle. Do not approach the group.
In Georgia, groups of orbi nests have been recorded in the Vashlovani Protected Areas in Kakheti and Kazbegi National Park in Mtskheta-Mtianeti. The confirmed sites in Vashlovani are Eagle Gorge and the Khornabuji cliffs. In Kazbegi, they are Dariali Gorge near Gveleti and the area around Mount Kabarjini. Orbi nest on cliffs and look for food in open areas. In the Caucasus, they occupied nesting cliffs more often where rainfall was lower, there was more open space, and more dead livestock were found nearby. The distribution map confirms the species in Mtskheta — Mtianeti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Samegrelo — Zemo Svaneti and Samtskhe — Javakheti; these are observations and do not confirm nesting, which is documented only at the sites named above. Orbi have also been recorded migrating near Batumi in autumn; this does not mean they nest there.Read moreShow less
In Georgia, groups of orbi nests have been recorded in the Vashlovani Protected Areas in Kakheti and Kazbegi National Park in Mtskheta-Mtianeti. The confirmed sites in Vashlovani are Eagle Gorge and the Khornabuji cliffs. In Kazbegi, they are Dariali Gorge near Gveleti and the area around Mount Kabarjini. Orbi nest on cliffs and look for food in open areas. In the Caucasus, they occupied nesting cliffs more often where rainfall was lower, there was more open space, and more dead livestock were found nearby. The distribution map confirms the species in Mtskheta — Mtianeti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Samegrelo — Zemo Svaneti and Samtskhe — Javakheti; these are observations and do not confirm nesting, which is documented only at the sites named above. Orbi have also been recorded migrating near Batumi in autumn; this does not mean they nest there.
Distribution confirmedfield records
The griffon vulture map uses public iNaturalist observations from Georgia. Regions come from the records-by-region table: only a confirmed status counts as distribution; other regions have records only. Observations do not by themselves confirm nesting. Record counts reflect observation effort, not population density.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
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- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Region with confirmed distribution
15 photos · 9 photographersView all photos
Close to wildlife · Kazbegi
Close to wildlife · Kazbegi
Close to wildlife · Kazbegi
Niko Dvali · Tvishi
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Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Griffon vulture.
Yes. Orbi nests in Georgia and is found there year-round. Migrating orbi have also been seen.
Colonies have been recorded in Eagle Gorge and Khornabuji, within the Vashlovani Protected Areas of Kakheti, and in Kazbegi National Park and around Gveleti in Mtskheta-Mtianeti. The distribution map also confirms the species in Kvemo Kartli, Samegrelo — Zemo Svaneti and Samtskhe — Javakheti (observations, not nesting). Autumn migration has also been recorded near Batumi. Do not approach the nests.
It has a large, pale sandy-colored body, dark flight feathers and a short tail. Adults also have a pale collar. In flight, its wings often form a shallow V. The vulture is uniformly dark. The mountain eagle has a long tail and a golden nape.
Its body is about 93–122 cm long, and its wingspan is 2.3–2.8 m.
It feeds mainly on the carcasses of large domestic and wild mammals. It usually does not hunt large live animals.
It is found year-round. Adults stay near the colonies, while young ones mostly head south after breeding. Migrating individuals are also seen.
Yes. Nesting has been confirmed in Vashlovani and Kazbegi. It usually lays one egg.
If you encounter this bird, it is usually not dangerous to people, but do not approach its colony. According to Georgia’s current Red List, the species is under threat in Georgia, while it faces little threat globally. Do not touch the bird.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
