Vultures

Species

There are 11 species of vultures found in Africa (some are also found in Europe and Asia). I will be focusing on the species mainly found in Africa and especially the white-backed vulture, which I saw.

Gyps africanus
Gypohierax angolensis
Torgos tracheliotos
Neophron percnopterus
Necrosyrtes monachus
Gyps reuppelli

White-backed vulture
Palmnut vulture (vulturine fish-eagle)
Lappet-faced vulture (Nubian vulture)
Egyptian vulture (white scavenger vulture; pharaoh's chicken)
Hooded vulture
Rüppell’s vulture (Rüppell’s griffon vulture)

Population

White-backed vulture: the most common and widespread vulture in Africa. However, they were assessed by the IUCN is 2018 as Critically endangered, with numbers decreasing and estimated at 270,000. West Africa has lost 70% of its white-backed vulture population.
Palmnut vulture: assessed in 2016 as of Least concern and stable numbers.
Lappet-faced vulture: assessed in 2016 as Endangered with decreasing numbers (estimated at 2,700).
Egyptian vulture: assessed in 2019 as Endangered with decreasing numbers (estimated at 12,000-38,000 individuals).
Hooded vulture: assessed in 2016 as Critically Endangered with numbers decreasing (197,000)
Rüppell’s: assessed in 2016 as Critically Endangered with numbers decreasing (22,000 individuals).

Size

Vultures vary in size.
White-backed vulture: weighs 4-7 kg; length 76 - 98 cm with a wingspan of 1.9 - 2.3 metres.
Palmnut vulture: the smallest African vulture. Weighs 1.3 - 1.7 kg; length 60cm long with a wingspan of 150 cm.
Lappet-faced vulture : one of the largest African vulture weighing up to 13.6 kg. They can be 100 - 105 cm long with a wingspan of 2.6 metres.
Egyptian vulture: a medium sized vulture weighing 1.9 - 2.4 kg; length 58 - 70 cm with a wingspan of 1.5 -1.7 metres.
Hooded vulture: a small vulture weighing 1.5 - 2.6 kg; length 62 - 72 cm with a wingspan of 155 - 165 cm.
Rüppell’s vulture: a large vulture weighing 6.4 - 9 kg; length 85 - 103 cm with a wingspan of 2.3 - 2.6 metres.

Habitat & distribution

Vultures are found in mountain, savanna, woodland and desert areas.
Most of the species are found across central Africa and East down to Tanzania.
The range of the white-backed vulture extends down to the top of South Africa.

Nature's Clean-up Crew

Some would say vultures are not the most attractive birds but there is a good reason for their bald-faced appearance. Because of their role in scavenging the remains of animal carcasses, they help limit disease transmission around carcass sites. Vultures clean up 70% of carrion in Africa.
Their stomach acid is almost zero, killing any bacteria found in the rotting meat they consume.
The bare face (and often neck) is an adaptation for hygiene. The face is one of the hardest body parts for a bird to preen. Any food remaining on their faces can be shaken off. No feathers on the face means less places for bacteria and parasites to grow -the sun can easily bake off bacteria and parasites on a bare face.
For the vulture species that rely mostly on carrion, bone will make up a majority (over 80%) of their diet. To extract the nutritious bone marrow, the bone is first cracked with their strong beaks. They then take the bone on a flight and drop them onto rock to smash the bone open.

Diet

All vultures are carnivores however the palmnut vulture (as the name suggests) feeds on the fruit of palms. In fact 60% of an adult's diet is comprised of fruit (oil palm and Raffia palm) and 90% of a juvenile's diet is fruit. They will also eat crabs, carrion and fish.
Many smaller vultures will be the first to arrive at a carcass and will be chased off by larger species of vultures. The large Lappet-faced vulture is the last to arrive at a carcass as they can use their strong beaks to rip off and process the tough bits that smaller scavengers cannot eat (skin, tendons and ligaments).

Interesting facts

~ Old World vultures (those that are found in Africa, Asia or Europe) find their food using their strong eyesight. Whereas New World vultures (those found in the American continents) used smell to search out food.
~ You cannot see a vulture's ears because they are covered with thin skin. This stops food from getting in when they eat.
~ Vultures urinate on their feet and legs. Why? Two reasons ; to keep cool and to kill bacteria and parasites.

Group

A group of vultures can be called a committee, venue or volt. A group of vultures flying can be called a 'kettle' and a group at a carcass can be called a 'wake'.
Some species of vultures are more solitary but the white-backed vulture is highly social. Numbers close to 100 have been observed in a wake.

Breeding & lifespan

Vulture eggs can take 30-50 days to hatch.
Vultures can live to about 20 years in the wild.

Predators & threats

Ivory poachers are the main threat to vultures. Because poachers leave the carcasses of the animals they kill, vultures are attracted to them. The vultures can then give away the location of the poachers, who are turning to poisoning the carcasses to reduce the number of vultures in the vicinity.
Vulture heads are also prized for their heads in traditional medicine.