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Cinereous Vulture - Aegypius monachus
The Cinereous Vulture is the largest bird of prey in Europe having a wingspan of 2.5 to 3 meters. It nests in the Dadia Forest where for many decades it was the only breeding colony in the entire Balkans, except for the last 3 years when the species started nesting in neighbouring Bulgaria due to reintroduction projects. To find food, it travels throughout the mountainous of Thrace in both Greece and Bulgaria. It builds its nests in the tops of trees, where it gives birth to a single young in a year. It is a scavenger species that feeds on medium or small-sized dead animals. The long-term efforts to protect this emblematic species are linked to the history of the protected area of the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest National Park.