Cinereous vulture

Description

The cinereous vulture measures 98–120 cm (3 ft 3 in–3 ft 11 in) long with a 2.5–3.1 m (8 ft 2 in–10 ft 2 in) wingspan.Males can weigh from 6.3 to 11.5 kg (14 to 25 lb),whereas females can weigh from 7.5 to 14 kg (17 to 31 lb).It is thus one of the world's heaviest flying birds.Females are slightly larger than males.Despite limited genetic variation in the species,body size increases from west to east,with the birds from southwest Europe (Spain and south France) averaging about 10% smaller than the vultures from central Asia (Manchuria,Mongolia and northern China).Among standard measurements,the wing chord is 73–89 cm (29–35 in),the tail is 33–41 cm (13–16 in) and the tarsus is 12–14.6 cm (4.7–5.7 in) The cinereous vulture is distinctly dark,with the whole body being brown excepting the pale head in adults,which is covered in fine blackish down.This down is absent in the closely related lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos).The skin of the head and neck is bluish-gray and a paler whitish color above the eye.The adult has brown eyes,a purplish cere,a blue-gray bill and pale blue-gray legs.The primary quills are often actually black.From a distance,flying birds can easily appear all black.The immature plumage is sepia-brown above,with a much paler underside than in adults.Immature cinereous vultures have grey down on the head,a pale mauve cere and grey legs.The massive bill is the largest of any living accipiterid,a feature enhanced by the relatively small skull of the species.The exposed culmen of the cinereous vulture measures 8–9 cm (3.1–3.5 in) The wings,with serrated leading edges,are held straight or slightly arched in flight and are broad,sometimes referred to as "barn door wings".Their flight is slow and buoyant,with deep,heavy flaps when necessary.The combination of huge size and dark coloration renders the cinereous vulture relatively distinct,especially against smaller raptors such as eagles or hawks.The most similar-shaped species,the lappet-faced vulture (with which there might be limited range overlap in the southern Middle East),is distinguished by its bare,pinkish head and contrasting plumage.On the lappet-face,the thighs and belly are whitish in adult birds against black to brownish over the remainder of the plumage.All potential Gyps vultures are distinguished by having paler,often streaky plumage,with bulging wing primaries giving them a less evenly broad-winged form.Cinereous vultures are generally very silent,with a few querulous mewing,roaring or guttural cries solely between adults and their offspring at the nest site