White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanusAlso known as African White-Backed Vulture, African White-Backed Griffon
White-backed vultures are medium-sized scavengers that spend hours soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts while scanning open savannas for animal carcasses. Upon spotting a meal or observing down-flying competitors, dozens of individuals rapidly gather in noisy squabbling frenzies to strip a large mammal down to bone within minutes. Tragic population collapses driven by accidental poisonings and the illegal trade in wildlife parts have placed this once-abundant bird in severe peril across Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Mammal Carrion
- Ungulate Remains
- Offal
- Lions
- Lappet-faced Vultures
- Large Eagles
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae
- GenusGyps
- SpeciesGyps africanus
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe from a respectful distance; avoid disturbing nesting sites.
- What to notice
- Look for a pale brownish body, bare dark grey head and neck, and a distinct white patch on the lower back in adults.
- Support conservation
- Observe from a distance using optics, keep vehicle noise low, and never approach active tree nests.
- Binocular Viewing: Scan thermal updrafts above savanna landscapes with binoculars or a spotting scope.
- Maintain Distance: Stay inside safari vehicles when watching birds gathered at a carcass to avoid flushing them.
- Report Tagged Birds: Record and report wing tag numbers to local conservation groups to assist population tracking.
Competitor (c) Yathin sk, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Co-occurring Scavenger Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Family Member Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Found in Collections
Mystic Meadows
White-backed Vulture is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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Desert Sands
White-backed Vulture is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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