Learning About Africa’s Birds

Birds

Birds have been around since the dinosaurs and fill a variety of roles in African ecosystems, including large predators like the fish eagle, scavengers like the vulture, and helpful sidekicks like the oxpecker. Africa is the world’s second largest continent and home to an incredible variety of bird life. South Africa is … Read more

Learn More about Cape Vultures

Learn More about Cape Vultures

The Cape Vulture, also known as Kolbe’s Vulture, Cape Griffon, and Gyps coprotheres, is the third-largest Old-World vulture in the world. It is southern Africa’s only indigenous vulture species and South Africa’s largest raptor. This vulture species was described in 1798 by European naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster. Apart from its striking physical … Read more

Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)

Egyptian Vulture

It is a dull, fairish-sized vulture, with a conspicuous somber-looking yellow face. The narrow bill is also yellow, accentuated by a black tip. During its flight, its flight feathers show dark fingers, effectively contrasting with its whitish inner feathers. Frequents open to semiopen regions, preferring cliffs rarely on trees. Like other vultures, … Read more

Fascinating Facts to Know About the Hooded Vulture

Hooded Vulture

The Hooded Vulture, also known as Necrosyrtes monachus, is an Old World vulture that belongs to the order Accipitriformes, together with kites, eagles, hawks, and buzzards. The Hooded Vulture is the sole species in the genus Necrosyrtes, a sister to the larger genus Gyps. Although larger than common birds, this vulture species … Read more

White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)

White-backed Vulture

It is a large, light-brownish vulture with subtle patches on its underwings and a distinct dull rump most noticeable when it is in flight. This scavenger bird thrives in open plains and savannas and breeds loosely-structured colonies found in tall trees. While it is the most common vulture in Africa, its number … Read more

Things to Know About the Lappet-faced Vulture

Lappet-faced Vulture

The Lappet-faced Vulture, also referred to as the Nubian Vulture and Torgos tracheliotos, is an Old World culture that belongs to the Accipitriformes order, along with kites, eagles, buzzards, and hawks. This bird species was formerly considered monotypical, but now is divided into two subspecies. The Lappet-faced Vulture was first described by … Read more