African White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)

White-backed Vulture

A new addition for November 2009 is 'George' a young male African White-backed Vulture. 'George' will be trained during early 2010 and will be part of one of our Outside Display team.

IN THE WILD

Origin: Africa: most of sub-Saharan Africa.

Diet: Carrion: intestines and softer flesh of large dead mammals. They cannot tear thick skin but the long beak and neck allow for deep penetration of orifices and wounds. Birds rise in thermals two to three hours after dawn and forage at around 200-500m above the ground watching other bird and mammal scavengers and predators.

SPECIES FACTFILE

LENGTH: 78-90cm

WINGSPAN: 197-229cm

WEIGHT: 4.2 - 7.2kg

EGGS IN CLUTCH: 1-3

Scavengers such as Hooded Vultures and immature Bateleurs are the first to arrive at carcasses and these attract numbers of White-backed together with Ruppell Griffon in the northern tropics and Cape Vultures in south Africa.

Habitat: Open and wooded country from grassy plains and savannah to light woodland, riverine trees and thornbush, but not dense woodland or forest. Always roosts in trees. Commonest where large wild mammals are numerous and is often associated with cattle-ranches and nomadic herders, but not towns or villages.

Conservation: This is the most numberous of vulture species in sub-Saharan Africa, but is threatened in some areas by poisoned carcasses. Has also declined in South Africa despite some expansion through the adoption of pylon nesting sites and is also decreasing in the northeast of its range (Sudan to Somalia).