Postmortem Examination of a Griffon Vulture Most Likely Killed by Lightning

Abstract

There are numerous reports of animals being struck by lightning, but the number of science-oriented studies in which a necropsy is performed, and the findings are documented, is relatively few and mostly focused on mammals. In contrast, analogous information about birds is scarce. The purpose of this article is to present the findings after a postmortem examination of an 85–90-day-old Eurasian Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) that was most likely killed by lightning while in the nest in Sinite Kamani Nature Park in Bulgaria in 2021. The body was visibly burned, with keraunographic markings, lacked feathers and had fractured bones—typical findings in lightning strike injuries.

Keywords

• avian medicine
• Griffon Vulture
• lightning strike
• necropsy
• pathoanatomic findings