Eurasian Griffon vultures

I watch them every time when I am lying on the beach and looking at the sky. The griffon vultures of Crete circle along the coast in pairs, sometimes eight or ten.

They glide majestically through the air and they only rarely flap their wings.

It's difficult to photograph them because they're so high in the sky, but sometimes I spot them when I drive along the serpentines.

They are 93–122 cm long with a 2.3–2.8 m wingspan. The males weigh 6.2 to 10.5 kg and females typically weigh 6.5 to 10.5 kg. Hatched naked, it is a typical Old World vulture in appearance, with a very white head, very broad wings and short tail feathers. It has a white neck ruff and yellow bill. The buff body and wing coverts contrast with the dark flight feathers.Read more