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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Griffon Vulture	Snail Kite
Scientific Name	Gyps fulvus	Rostrhamus sociabilis
Order	Accipitriformes	Accipitriformes
Family	Accipitridae	Accipitridae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	100.0 cm (39.4 in)	—
Wingspan	260.0 cm (102.4 in)	69.0 cm (27.2 in)
Weight	8500.0 g (299.83 oz)	375.75 g (13.25 oz)
Diet	Exclusively carrion, primarily large mammal carcasses. Feeds communally, with groups of vultures able to strip …	--
Clutch Size	1	2-3
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Griffon Vulture 100.0 cm

Snail Kite —

Wingspan

Griffon Vulture 260.0 cm

Snail Kite 69.0 cm

Weight

Griffon Vulture 8500.0 g

Snail Kite 375.75 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Griffon Vulture only

🏜️ Desert 🌲 Forest 🌾 Grassland

Snail Kite only

🌿 Wetland

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

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.

Snail Kite

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Geographic Range & Migration

Griffon Vulture

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

Snail Kite

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Griffon Vulture

Least Concern

Snail Kite

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How to Tell Them Apart

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

Snail Kite

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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.

Snail Kite

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Related Comparisons

Bald Eagle vs Griffon Vulture

same-family

Wandering Albatross vs Griffon Vulture

look-alike

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