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Despite being scarce throughout much of its Eurasian range, the Griffon Vulture is Europe's most common vulture, with a particularly robust population in Spain. To see vultures soaring high above the mountainous crags of Extramadura or Castilla is one of the ornithological highlights of the entire Iberian Peninsula. Vultures also perform a vital role in ecosystem balance, cleaning up the corpses of the dead. However, many European vultures are now largely reliant on human activities; since the the first case of BSE in Spain in 2000, farmers are now obliged to remove dead animals from their land, and vultures there have suffered a serious population collapse. This decline is mirrored throughout Europe; changes in landscape and livestock practices directly affect the survival of this bird.
The Griffon Vulture provides an up to date account of Griffon Vulture biology, with particular emphasis placed on ecological studies and conservation issues. Sections include an introduction to the species and its current status, migration, breeding biology, feeding ecology and search dynamics, population ecology, conservation and management, the history of reintroductions to France and elsewhere, threats to the vulture population, and an overview of Griffon research.
Alvaro Camina Cardenal is one of Spain's foremost raptor biologists. The chairman of the East Mediterranean Griffon Vulture Group, he is also at the forefront of the battle to conserve all of Europe's vultures, especially Black Vultures. He has written dozens of peer-reviewed papers, focusing on Griffons, especially on the impact of BSE and the long-term impact of changes in agricultural practice.
