One of the 6 old world vultures on WAnimals
Birds · Accipitriformes · Accipitridae
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
It faces an extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild. See full glossary
The white-backed vulture was until recently the most abundant vulture in Africa and is now critically endangered: its population has fallen by more than 90% in three generations. The main cause is poisoning, both that aimed at carnivores by herders and that used deliberately by poachers to kill vultures. A single poisoned carcass can kill more than a hundred birds within hours.
Weight
4.2 kg – 7.2 kg
Size
78 cm – 98 cm
Lifespan
30 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sighting difficulty
Very hard
Fun facts
- A single elephant poisoned by poachers can kill more than 500 vultures in one incident: killings on that scale have been documented in Botswana and Namibia.
- Its decline has direct public health consequences: without vultures, carcasses lie in the field for days and the populations of feral dogs and rats grow, with the attendant risk of rabies and other zoonoses.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Wooded savannah and open grassland with large trees for nesting, in sub-Saharan Africa
- Sexual maturity
- 6 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 56 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 egg
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyps_africanus
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with White-backed Vulture — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Crowned Eagle
Stephanoaetus coronatus
EndangeredMartial Eagle
Polemaetus bellicosus
Cape Vulture
Gyps coprotheres
Lappet-faced Vulture
Torgos tracheliotos
Least ConcernVerreaux's Eagle
Aquila verreauxii
Least ConcernAugur Buzzard
Buteo augur
How to help
The white-backed vulture is classified as critically endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 8 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about white-backed vulture.
Comments
Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the white-backed vulture.
Be the first to comment.