Your guide to Africa’s vultures

Nature's waste managers

Vultures play a critical role in sustaining healthy and balanced ecosystems.

As nature’s waste managers, they scavenge on carcasses that would otherwise decompose and pose a threat to both animals and humans by spreading disease. They also contribute to nutrient cycling as their excrement enriches the soil.

Their ecological impact extends to climate benefits – they reduce greenhouse gas emissions by preventing the release of carbon dioxide and methane from decaying animals. Additionally, their presence or absence signals changes in habitat quality, prey abundance, and clean water.

In Africa, there are 11 species of vultures – 9 of which are resident, meaning they either live here year-round or migrate regularly to and from Africa, and 3 species are endemic: the Hooded, White-headed, and Cape vultures.

Sadly, many vultures are critically endangered, with lead poisoning a major problem. Lead is a toxic heavy metal and is used extensively in human society despite its known harmful effects. Modern research has linked lead to various health problems in humans and animals.

Vultures, being obligate scavengers, are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning through the ingestion of lead fragments from animals shot with lead ammunition. BirdLife SA’s research indicates that South Africa’s Gyps vultures are experiencing unusually high exposure to lead poisoning. The group is currently working on identifying the source and its impact on vulture chicks, while also engaging with the shooting community and looking into lead-free ammunition.

Additionally, BirdLife SA is promoting the creation of Vulture Safe Zones, where landowners commit to managing their properties in a vulture-friendly manner. These zones aim to provide safe havens for these birds of prey by addressing key threats and upholding sound environmental practices.

Read on to find out more about the vultures we look for on our trips, from their conservation status to their breeding and feeding habits.

Sustain Safaris Conservation Partner BirdLife SA

Sustain Safaris applauds the work of BirdLife SA in the conservation of Africa’s vultures. On our tours we conduct citizen science that supports their work in the 5 vulture hotspots in South and East Africa. We will be increasing our support so watch this space.

1. Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus)

IUCN status: Critically Endangered (estimated 131,000 mature individuals).

Habitat: Native to sub-Saharan Africa, with widespread distribution in Southern, East, and West Africa. Found in rural and urban areas.

Size: SMALL. 67-70 cm and weighing up to 2.6 kg.

Wingspan: 155-180 cm

Feeding: Carrion (usually the first to arrive at carcasses to eat before larger vultures chase them away).

Breeding:

November – March
Lays a single egg per breeding season, with both parents sharing the duty of incubation, lasting up to 54 days.
Chicks fledge at around 3 months old and remain dependent on their parents for 6 months.

2. White-headed Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis)

IUCN status: Critically Endangered (estimated 2,500 – 9,999 mature individuals)

Habitat: Endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, often found in mixed, dry woodlands at low altitudes.

Size: SMALL – MEDIUM. 72–85 cm and weighing up to 4.7 kg.

Wingspan: 207-230 cm

Feeding: Carrion (usually the first to arrive at carcasses to eat before larger vultures chase them away).

Breeding:

October – January in West Africa, and May – August in Southern Africa.
Lays a single egg, and both parents share incubation duties for up to 54 days.
Chicks fledge at 4 months and rely on parents for feeding until they’re 6 months old.

3. White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)

IUCN status: Critically Endangered (number of remaining mature individuals currently unknown)

Habitat: Found across a range that includes Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Ethiopia, Somalia, and down to Southern Africa, including countries like Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. It prefers wooded savannas with tall trees.

Size: MEDIUM. 78-98 cm and weighing up to 7.2 kg.

Wingspan: 210-225 cm

Feeding: Carrion (predominantly large mammals)

Breeding:

October – June in West Africa, and April – January in East and Southern Africa.
Lays one egg, which both parents incubate for about 56 days.
Chicks fledge 4 months after birth but rely on their parents for several months thereafter.

4. Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)

IUCN status: Near Threatened (estimated 1,675 – 6,700 mature individuals)

Habitat: Africa, Asia, and Europe. In Africa, they’re primarily located in the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains of Lesotho and South Africa (WATCH THE LIVESTREAM OF A BEARDED VULTURE BREEDING PAIR, AS PART OF THE REGION’S NEST CAMP PROJECT), and in North Africa’s Atlas Mountains – they prefer remote mountainous areas with steep terrains.

Size: LARGE. 100-115 cm and weighing up to 7.1 kg.

Wingspan: 250-285 cm (making it Africa’s second-largest vulture).

Feeding: Bones comprise up to 90% of its diet.

Breeding:

May – June in Africa
Lays 1-2 eggs, with both parents incubating the egg(s) for up to 60 days.
Chicks fledge from 3.5 months after hatching but rely on their parents for up to 2 years.

5. Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos)

IUCN status: Endangered (estimated 6,500 mature individuals)

Habitat: Distribution spans from the southern Sahara to the Sahel and extends down through East Africa to central and northern South Africa – found in dry savannas, arid plains, deserts with scattered trees, and open mountain slopes.

Size: LARGE. 95-115 cm and weighing up to 8.5 kg.

Wingspan: 250-290 cm (making it Africa’s largest vulture).

Feeding: Carrion – they also hunt small birds, reptiles, and mammals.

Breeding:

Breeding season changes according to location, For example, they breed throughout the year in East Africa, but only from May to December in Southern Africa.
Lays a single egg, incubated by both parents for up to 56 days.
Chicks fledge 4 – 5 months after hatching.

The vultures reuse their nesting sites year after year.

6. Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis)

IUCN status: Least Concern (number of remaining mature individuals currently unknown)

Habitat: Found primarily in sub-Saharan Africa in forests, savannas, and wetlands, usually near water sources. Its distribution is closely linked to the presence of oil and raffia palms, which are integral to its diet and nesting habits.

Size: SMALL. 58-60 cm and weighing up to 2.5 kg.

Wingspan: 150-170 cm

Feeding: Palm fruits, bird nestlings, fish, crabs, and occasionally carrion. It typically forages alone.

Breeding:

October – April
Lays a single egg, which both parents incubate for up to 50 days.
Chicks fledge at 3 months and rely on their parents for some time thereafter.

Explore our website for birding tours that give you the opportunity to see many of these incredible vultures up close.

7. Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)

IUCN status: Vulnerable (estimated 9,600 – 12,800 mature individuals)

Habitat: Southern Africa (mainly in South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana) – nests in large colonies on cliff faces in or near mountains.

Size: LARGE. 96–115 cm and weighing up to 11 kg.

Wingspan: 226-260 cm

Feeding: Carrion and livestock

Breeding:

April – July
Lays a single egg, and both parents incubate the egg for 54 days.
Chicks fledge at 4.5 months but typically rely on their parents for longer.