Comes to have a wingspan of three meters and weighing between seven and 13 kilos. We speak of the black vulture, the great bird of prey has been chosen bird of the year 2010 by the Spanish Ornithological Society. Despite being one of the birds that have managed to recover their population in the last thirty years (in 2006 counted 2,000 couples in Spain in 35 colonies), it still suffers many threats.

Photography by Kom_bo

In Spain, the large majority of the scavengers of the European Union: 80% of «owls» and «vultures», over 90% of the griffon vulture and 98% of the specimens of black vultures.

The latter occupies the southwest quadrant of the Peninsula and the northern Tramuntana mountains of Mallorca. The mountains of Guadarrama, Gredos, Gata, Montes de Toledo mountains of Extremadura, Sierra Morena Alcudia and stand as the major breeding sites and championships.

 Photography by Charly Morlock

It is the region with greater numbers. Cáceres is located in 847 couples, about half of the Spanish population. Three quarters of the territory Extremadura are considered as internationally important for birds.

In Monfragüe National Park, some routes are specifically designed to observe the flight and nesting sites of black vulture. The good organization of managers of the park and the ease in recruiting specialist guides make it easy.

Most of the Sierra de San Pedro is occupied by farms and livestock, but its small roads and cattle trails served as routes where off easily spot the movements of black vultures. In the Sierra de Gata, between the towns of Gallows, Descargamaría, Santibanez Robledillo Alto de Gata, Biological Reserve is located in the Black Vulture Arraga Valley. Four breeding colonies settled in this mountain range have become the northwestern population of the peninsula, allowing expansion into other lands. In the same area is located Ornithological Reserve Borbollón reservoir and Jalama Mount Landscape Reserve. A saw with pretensions of becoming a park.

Among the provinces of Madrid, Segovia and Avila are located more northern colonies. Iruelas Valley, known mountainous spine of the Sierra de Gredos, houses in an eastern slopes of the valleys most notorious of the mountains. The pine resin producers and give a print friendly laricios this green landscape. A place where giant trees have given shelter to a colony of black vultures over 70 pairs. It is also possible to observe the snowy shoulders imperial eagle.

In what will be the future national park of the Sierra de Guadarrama are other two colonies, one on the slopes Segovia La Granja de San Ildefonso, and another in the natural park of Madrid Peñalara. All rope is mountainous area champions for scavenging, with regular sightings from its harbor to Mount Abantos Somosierra San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

Saws Alcudia channel and have the privilege of harboring also black vulture. Cabañeros National Park is one of the best exponents of the ecosystem known as «maquis». It is also one of the best natural places where you can watch the large scavengers. The old cork sides lost in the thick of the tremendous support montunos nests of vultures.

Photography by untipografico

The Andalusia are the Sierra Morena the most haunt the corners of the species, but until recently was the Sierra Pelada de Huelva which housed the largest population. The Natural Parks of Sierra Norte de Sevilla, and Andujar Hornachuelos form a territorial unit with the same type of ecosystem starring the great pastures of oak and cork oak, and the abundance of game species such as deer, wild boar and mouflon.

It is important to the conservation of vultures to balance the ecosystem!