After eating that much, a Griffon Vulture may fast for a week or more. Griffon Vultures are the most social of all the vultures. Their nests are huge and often are built on top of previous years' nests. The zoo's two birds try to build a nest every winter among the rocks in their exhibit. In the wild,10-15 pairs of vultures will often share the same nesting area, such as a protected rock cave or cliff ledge.
Young birds leave the nest after three or four months.
Like many other animals, Griffon Vultures are threatened by habitat loss. Other threats to vultures include poisoned carcasses, pesticides, and toxic waste. To learn more about Griffon Vultures, see our fact sheet .