Vulture

VULTURE (Gyps fulvus)

Third in the "Birds of Israel" Series

The Griffon vulture, a large bird of prey, nests in mountainous areas on cliff ledges. Gamla, on a steep slope in northern Israel, site of an ancient Jewish city and today a nature reserve, has the largest vulture colony in Israel. Vultures also nest in the hills of the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee, Judean and Negev deserts. With a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters, the Griffon vulture soars to great heights in search of food, feeding on carcasses of dead animals.

The "nesher", as the vulture is called in Hebrew, was common in the Land of Israel in biblical times and is mentioned 26 times in the bible. While there used to be thousands of Griffon Vultures in Israel, today it is an endangered species and only 70 breeding pairs remain. Much effort is being invested at present towards restoring the vulture population in Israel.

Design: Igal Gabay

Description

Obverse: A vulture flying over a rocky cliff.

Common Reverse of the Series: The Land of Israel at the center of the world as seen from a satellite map. Around the border, the angles and directions of a compass, symbolizing the "inner compass" of birds that directs them to the Land of Israel.