White-headed Vulture
A species of White-headed Vulture Scientific name : Trigonoceps occipitalis Genus : White-headed Vulture
White-headed Vulture, A species of White-headed Vulture
Botanical name: Trigonoceps occipitalis
Genus: White-headed Vulture
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Ruben Undheim , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
The white-headed vulture is a medium-sized vulture, 72–85 centimetres (28–33 in) in length and with a wingspan of 207–230 centimetres (81–91 in). Females have an average weight of 4.7 kilograms (10 lb), while males are generally lighter at 4 kilograms (8.8 lb) or less. This species is unique among African vultures as it shows a degree of reversed sexual dimorphism, where females are somewhat larger than males. It has a pink beak and a white crest, and the featherless areas on its head are pale. It has dark brown upper parts and black tail feathers. The feathers on its lower parts and legs are white, giving it its diagnostic image from below. These vultures are easily distinguishable from all other vulture species as the plumage exhibits a strong contrast between black and white. Individual white-headed vultures can also be reliably identified based on a unique pattern in their median wing coverts.
Size
85 cm
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
White-headed Vulture consumes a varied diet, including carrion, bone fragments, reptiles, and occasionally eggs and small mammals. Known for snatching food from other species and foraging alone or in pairs. White-headed Vulture is an early scavenger at kills and demonstrates unique predatory behavior, sometimes hunting cooperatively for larger prey like mongoose or monitor lizards.
Habitat
White-headed Vulture generally thrives in mixed, dry woodlands at low altitudes, predominantly within the expansive sub-Saharan African region. This raptor favors areas with thorny Acacia vegetation and tree savannas, steering clear of denser forest regions and human settlements. Occasionally, it ventures into subdesert landscapes and dense woodlands. Its habitat spans from sea level to high elevations, reaching up to 4,000 meters in some regions. White-headed Vulture is primarily associated with protected areas, with significant populations in large conservation zones like the Kruger National Park.
Dite type
Scavenger
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Distribution Area
The white-headed vulture is widely spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring from Senegal and Gambia east to Somalia and south to South Africa and Swaziland. It is locally uncommon to common. A total population of 10,500-18,750 individuals has been estimated, but newer estimates following recent declines suggest a population of just 5,500 individuals. It is estimated that 400 protected areas contain 1893 White-headed vulture nests, with 721 nests occurring in East Africa, 548 in Central Africa, 468 in Southern Africa and 156 in West Africa. The species prefers mixed, dry woodland at low altitudes. It occurs at elevations of up to 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in Ethiopia, perhaps 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in Kenya, and can be found in thorny Acacia-dominated landscape in Botswana. It generally avoids human habitation and are considered to be restricted to protected areas. For example, the Kruger National Park and neighboring conservation areas hold the largest population of the species in South Africa.
Species Status
White-headed vulture populations have been declining since the early 1940s; it was classified as Vulnerable in the 2007 IUCN Red List. Recent indications that the species is rarer than previously thought have led to a status upgrade to Critically Endangered in 2015. The main threats to white-headed vulture populations are reductions in the availability of suitable food sources (carcasses of medium-sized mammals and ungulates) and the loss of habitat to the spread of urban and agricultural developments. Poisoning through baits set for other carnivores such as jackals and hyenas, as well as targeted poisoning of vultures (by poachers who seek to prevent vultures from drawing attention to an illegal kill), is also an important factor. Secondary causes of decline is exploitation for the international trade in raptors and use in traditional medicines. The species is highly sensitive to land-use and tends to depart from degraded habitat, leading to high concentrations in protected areas. Potential introduction of the anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac, which is fatal to all vultures of the closely related genus Gyps when ingested at livestock carcasses, may represent a potential future threat. On the 20th of June 2019, the carcasses of 468 white-backed vultures, 17 white-headed vultures, 28 hooded vultures, 14 lappet-faced vultures and 10 cape vultures, altogether 537 vultures, besides 2 tawny eagles, were found in northern Botswana. It is suspected that they died after eating the carcasses of 3 elephants that were poisoned by poachers, possibly to avoid detection by the birds, which help rangers to track poaching activity by circling above where there are dead animals.
Photo By Ruben Undheim , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original