Neophron percnopterus is a widespread but patchily distributed breeder in southern Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is small (as few as 3,500 pairs), and declined substantially between 1970-1990. The species continued to decline in most countries-including its key populations in Spain and Turkey-during 1990-2000, and underwent a large decline overall. On top of earlier declines, this equates to a very large decline (>50%) over three generations. This species is endangered.
This vulture is widely distributed in southern Europe, from south-western Asia to India and Mongolia, and in the northern half of Africa. The birds of Spain, the Balearic islands and the Canary islands are partly sedentary, but all other populations winter in Africa, mainly in the Sahel region. About 1600-1770 breeding pairs inhabit the European Union. This population is declining since the beginning of the century, and is still declining in many regions. Direct persecution and poisoning are the most important threats to this species

This species of vulture is a very adaptable, inhabiting various habitat types, and slowly estblishing territories closer and closer to humans. These birds can often be seen feeding around garbage dumps. Among the natural habitats favored by the Egyptian vulture are plains, wetlands, uplands, and mountains. They are found ranging through southern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and India.

Males and females are alike in plumage, but females are usually slightly larger than their mate. Beautiful breeding displays are performed by the both sexes. They fly high into the air and dive back down, grasping claws on the way.
They prefer to nest on rocky ledges and in cliffs, preferring well-sheltered areas with many cavities, as the birds are colonial nesters. They lay 1 to 3 eggs, which they incubate for 42 days. They have the ability to lay a new egg if one is destroyed or taken before hatching. Young fledge at about 3 months of age. Juvenile plumage is brown, strikingly different from the pure white adults

Most well known for its evolved abiltity to eat eggs, the Egyptian vulture's diet also includes both carrion and overripe vegetable matter. When feeding with crows and small raptors, this vulture is dominant. They must wait, however, for other larger vultures to finish their meal at a carcass, before entering the scene. Once the carcass is abandined, the birds fly in and pick the small bits of remaining meat from the bones with their delicate beaks.
Among other favored foods are decaying fruits and vegetables, often salvaged from human garbage dumps, and small insects, which the bird can catch alive. Without a sense of smell, the Egyptian vultures rely on their keen eyesight to find all food. Their vision is twice as refined as that of a human, allowing them to see an object 4 to 8 centimeters in diameter from as high as 1000 meters.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 10,000,000 km². It has a large global population estimated to be 10,000-100,000 individuals (Ferguson-Lees et al. 2001). Global population trends have not been quantified; there is evidence of population fluctuations (Ferguson-Lees et al. 2001), but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Migratory in N of range; sedentary in Arabia, sub-Saharan Africa, Balearic Is and Canary Is; mainly sedentary in Indian Subcontinent, but locally migratory in some regions. Present in N breeding areas mainly Mar-Sept; winter sightings very rare, although species winters in small numbers in Coto Donana (SW Spain). Most migrants cross to Africa at Gibraltar, Suez and Bab al Mandab also important; nowadays, species winters only N equator; some juveniles remain in Africa throughout second year.

article number 1 Title
Use of alternative nests for clutch replacement In the Egyptian Vulture Neophron Percnopterus
Author(s): Martínez, F. & Blanco, G.
Abstract: Many single-brooded bird species may raise young from replacement clutches after failing in an initial attempt. The rate of clutch replacement among raptors varies depending on their size, latitude a..[more]..
Source: Ardeola 49(2), 2002, 297-299
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article number 2 Title
Sex identification in the Egyptian Vulture by plow cytometry and cytogenetics
Author(s): DELIA CAVALLA et al
Abstract: The genome size and sex of the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), a sexually monomorphic bird, were identified from blood samples by the use of flow cytometry (FCM). This technique allowed eval..[more]..
Source: The Condor 99:829-832
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article number 3 Title
Migrations and sojourn in Africa of Egyptian vultures ( Neophron percnopterus) tracked by satellite
Author(s): Bernd-U. Meyburg, Max Gallardo, Christiane Meyburg, Elena Dimitrova
Abstract: By means of satellite telemetry, the migrations of three young Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) from France and Bulgaria were studied and data obtained (over 4,300 Argos locations) to describ..[more]..
Source: J Ornithol (2004) 145: 273-280
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article number 4 Title
Food of the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) in Biscay
Author(s): HIDALGO S et al
Abstract: We studied the diet of the Egyptian Vulture in Biscay, northern Iberian Peninsula, between 2000-2003. We monitored adults in territories, searched for nests, and collected food remains in nest and p..[more]..
Source: BUTEO 14 (2005): 23-29
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article number 5 Title
Growth rates of nestling Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus in relation to brood size hatching order and environmental factors.
Author(s): Donazar J.A. & Ceballos O
Abstract: Patterns of growth in weight, tarsus and feather (primary) are described for nestling Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus in northern Spain. Maximum increase in weight and tarsus respectively occur..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 77 (2): 217-226
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article number 6 Title
Post-fledging dependence period and development of flight and foraging behavior in the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus.
Author(s): Ferrer M., Garcia L. & Cadenas R.
Abstract: In northern Spain the first flights of fledgling Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus took place between 28 July and 28 August (at the age of 68-80 d). The post-fledging period ended between 29 Aug..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 78 (3): 387-394.
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article number 7 Title
Organization and Variation of the Mitochondrial Control Region in Two Vulture Species, Gypaetus barbatus and Neophron percnopterus
Author(s): S. ROQUES, J. A. GODOY, J. J. NEGRO, AND F. HIRALDO
Abstract: We report the first entire mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences in two endangered vulture species, the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopter..[more]..
Source: Journal of Heredity 2004:95(4):332-337
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article number 8 Title
Factors influencing the distribution, abundance and nest-site selection of an endangered Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) population in Sicily
Author(s): Maurizio Sara and Massimiliano Di Vittorio
Abstract: The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) breeds in Sicily and, in 22 years of monitoring, has shown a decline followed by a slight recovery. We used Generalised Linear Models to predict: (1) the d..[more]..
Source: Animal Conservation (2003) 6, 0-000
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article number 9 Title
Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in serum samples of Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) from Spain
Author(s): B. G
omara and L. Ramos
Abstract: Concentrations of 23 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p,p0-DDT and two of its metabolites, p,p0-DDE and p,p0-TDE have been measured in serum samples of up to 1 ml of Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percno..[more]..
Source: Chemosphere 55 (2004) 577-583
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