White-tailed Hawk vs Griffon Vulture

Geranoaetus albicaudatus compared with Gyps fulvus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute White-tailed Hawk Griffon Vulture
Scientific Name Geranoaetus albicaudatus Gyps fulvus
Order Accipitriformes Accipitriformes
Family Accipitridae Accipitridae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length 100.0 cm (39.4 in)
Wingspan 85.4 cm (33.6 in) 260.0 cm (102.4 in)
Weight 975.3333333333334 g (34.40 oz) 8500.0 g (299.83 oz)
Diet -- Exclusively carrion, primarily large mammal carcasses. Feeds communally, with groups of vultures able to strip …
Clutch Size 1-4 1
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
White-tailed Hawk
Griffon Vulture 100.0 cm
Wingspan
White-tailed Hawk 85.4 cm
Griffon Vulture 260.0 cm
Weight
White-tailed Hawk 975.3333333333334 g
Griffon Vulture 8500.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

White-tailed Hawk only

None

Griffon Vulture only

Griffon Vulture

Mountains, cliffs, and open grasslands. Nests on cliff ledges in colonies. Requires thermals for soaring flight.

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Song & Call Comparison

White-tailed Hawk

Griffon Vulture

Song

Generally silent; hisses and grunts at carrion with other vultures. Gives low croaking 'arrr' near nest. At colonies produces cackling and grunting — not melodic vocalizations.

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Geographic Range & Migration

White-tailed Hawk

Griffon Vulture

Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Resident in most of its range.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

White-tailed Hawk

Least Concern

Griffon Vulture

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How to Tell Them Apart

White-tailed Hawk

Griffon Vulture

Plumage

Tawny-brown body with darker flight feathers. White neck ruff and bare greyish head. Long broad wings held flat when soaring.

Bill

Hooked yellowish bill adapted for tearing carrion

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About These Birds

Griffon Vulture

The griffon vulture is one of Europe's largest flying birds and a crucial scavenger in Mediterranean ecosystems. These social birds nest in large cliff colonies and can soar for hours using thermals without flapping. Vulture populations faced a crisis from the veterinary drug diclofenac, which proved fatal when consumed through contaminated carcasses.

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Related Comparisons

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