Griffon Vulture vs Harpy Eagle
Gyps fulvus compared with Harpia harpyja
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Griffon Vulture | Harpy Eagle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Gyps fulvus | Harpia harpyja |
| Order | Accipitriformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | 100.0 cm (39.4 in) | 100.0 cm (39.4 in) |
| Wingspan | 260.0 cm (102.4 in) | 200.0 cm (78.7 in) |
| Weight | 8500.0 g (299.83 oz) | 7500.0 g (264.55 oz) |
| Diet | Exclusively carrion, primarily large mammal carcasses. Feeds communally, with groups of vultures able to strip … | Arboreal mammals including sloths, monkeys, and opossums, which make up over 70% of the diet. … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 2-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Griffon Vulture
Mountains, cliffs, and open grasslands. Nests on cliff ledges in colonies. Requires thermals for soaring flight.
Harpy Eagle
Tropical lowland rainforests, requiring large tracts of continuous forest with tall emergent trees for nesting.
Song & Call Comparison
Griffon Vulture
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.
Harpy Eagle
Rarely heard; emits mournful whistled screams 'wheee-oo' and low croaking grunts near the nest. Vocalizations poorly documented given its remote Amazonian habitat.
Geographic Range & Migration
Griffon Vulture
Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Resident in most of its range.
Harpy Eagle
Central and South America from southern Mexico through Brazil and northern Argentina. Range is shrinking due to deforestation.
Conservation Status
Griffon Vulture
Harpy Eagle
How to Tell Them Apart
Griffon Vulture
Tawny-brown body with darker flight feathers. White neck ruff and bare greyish head. Long broad wings held flat when soaring.
Hooked yellowish bill adapted for tearing carrion
Harpy Eagle
Slate-black upperparts and head with a pale grey breast and white underparts with black barring. A distinctive split grey crest rises when the bird is alarmed.
Massive dark hooked bill, one of the largest of any eagle
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.
Harpy Eagle
The harpy eagle is among the most powerful raptors in the world, with talons as large as a grizzly bear's claws. It is the national bird of Panama. Deforestation poses the greatest threat to this species, as each breeding pair requires a vast territory of undisturbed forest.