The Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) is one of the largest birds in the world, and like most vulture species, it has suffered a decline in its global population despite a recent increase in its numbers in Europe (Birdlife International 2018, Safford et al. 2019). Current distribution maps of the Cinereous Vulture illustrate a fragmented breeding range stretching from southwestern Europe to southeastern Asia and a wintering range reaching farther south to the Arabian Peninsula and India (Birdlife International 2018). However, past winter observations also place the species in northeastern Africa (Egypt) and possibly farther south as well, with unconfirmed winter sightings in Sudan, at approximately 17°N latitude (Mundy et al. 1992).
In Israel, a bottleneck for soaring species migrating between Eurasia and Africa (Leshem and Yom-Tov 1998), Cinereous Vultures have been extirpated as breeders, but are still observed regularly...