Bird Guide

Cinereous Vulture vs Swamp Harrier

Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus)

Cinereous Vulture

Aegypius monachus

Huge9.3 kgForest

The cinereous vulture measures 98–120 cm (39–47 in) in total length with a 2.5–3.1 m (8 ft 2 in – 10 ft 2 in) wingspan. Males can weigh from 6.3 to 11.5 kg (14 to 25 lb), whereas females can weigh from 7.5 to 14 kg (17 to 31 lb). It is the largest accipitrid and is thus one of the world's heaviest flying birds. Average weights were long not known to have been published for this species but the median weight figures from two sources were 9.42 kg (20.8 lb) and 9.55 kg (21.1 lb). However in a Korean study, a large survey of wild cinereous vultures was found to have weighed an average of 9.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Thomas SIGNEAU · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Cristina Villaverde · CC BY 4.0
Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans)

Swamp Harrier

Circus approximans

Large746 gWetland

The swamp harrier is largely dark brown, becoming lighter with age, and has a distinct white rump. It hunts by flying slowly, low to the ground, on upswept wings. The body length is 48 to 62 cm (19 to 24.5 in), and the wingspan is 118 to 145 cm (3 ft 10 in to 4 ft 9 in). The recorded weights of adults range from 580 to 1,100 g (1.28 to 2.43 lb). Females are significantly larger than the males. In New Zealand, 54 males averaged 640 g (1.41 lb) and 66 females averaged 870 g (1.92 lb).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: patrickkavanagh · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Cinereous Vulture and Swamp Harrier.