But if you don’t know Portugal very well, you might be surprised to know that we have a few of these prehistoric birds in our skies.

Nature’s clean-up crew

Credits: Pexels; Author: Jesús Esteban San José;

Fossils of vulture ancestors dating back millions of years have been found, especially a fossil of a 29,000 year-old Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) found in an old breeding site in the Lapedo Valley, Leiria. This is the oldest such site in the Iberian Peninsula. Sadly, the Bearded Vulture is now considered extinct as a breeding population in Portugal, having disappeared in the late 19th century, but they are occasionally seen as wanderers crossing from reintroduction projects in Andalusia, Spain.

Three species found in Portugal

The ones found here are the Eurasian Griffon Vulture, the Black Vulture (Cinereous), and the Egyptian Vulture, with the highest concentrations in the Douro Valley and southern Alentejo. The Griffon is the most common, while the Black Vulture is recovering from extinction through conservation efforts. They are essential scavengers, but face threats from poison and reduced food availability.

These beasties are primarily large, impressive raptors with massive wingspans. The Griffon, Europe's largest bird of prey, boasts a massive wingspan and weighs up to 14 kg. It is critically endangered but has over 108 breeding pairs in Portugal. The rarer Black Vulture is often described as a ‘flying plank of wood’ with a 3-meter wingspan. The nickname stems from its distinctive, rigid flight shape, featuring exceptionally long, broad, and uniform rectangular wings that resemble a dark board in the sky. These mostly rectangular wings are held straight, lacking the upward "V" shape of many other vultures.

The Egyptian Vultures can be seen in the Douro International Natural Park and the Tejo Internacional Natural Park, where they breed in river canyons during the summer (March–September). Key viewing spots include the Penha das Torres viewpoint near Miranda do Douro and Faia Brava Reserve.

Things they have in common

They are all unique for having bald heads for cleanliness, having extremely acidic stomachs, and the ability to soar for hours. These birds are scavengers, relying almost entirely on dead meat, but are opportunistic feeders known to eat insects, small reptiles, etc., with the Black vulture even capable of killing weak or newborn prey; they will also have a veggie lifestyle, eating berries, grapes, and pumpkins.

They are all suffering a severe, largely human-created crisis, and populations have plummeted by up to 97% in Africa and 99% in Asia over the last few decades due to intentional and unintentional poisoning, flying into electrical infrastructure, and, of course, habitat loss. They aren’t aggressive, but may vomit or bite if cornered or handled, and as nature’s clean-up crew, they prevent the spread of anthrax and rabies by consuming any rotting carcasses they can find.

Vulture Experience

Let me tell you a funny story. A good few years ago, The Husband and I were both on a training course and had to find ourselves some work experience for a month. I found a temporary position at the local hospital in the Records Department (well they knew I couldn’t harm anyone there), but The Husband decided an office experience wasn’t for him - he wanted something more ‘hands on’, and found himself a place at a bird of prey centre, prepared to 'muck out birds’ and help with feeding, etc.

In return, he was permitted to fly their Harris Hawk at the end of the day, but cleaning duties included the cage of a vulture. He entered the cage with a broom and instructions to always face it, and watchfully, the vulture sized him up. The Husband turned his back for a second, and in that time, the vulture leaned forward and took a curious peck at his leg. His wickedly razor-sharp beak hardly made a dent in the jeans, but drew blood from the leg beneath! I don’t think he was preparing to feast, but just curious enough to give him a poke to show he wasn’t to be messed with.