White backed Vulture
The white backed vulture (Gyps africanus) is the most widespread large vulture in Africa, found from Senegal and Gambia across the Sahel and East Africa down to South Africa. It is built for a life in the air: a wingspan of up to 2.25 meters lets it ride thermals for hours, scanning enormous areas for carcasses below. The whitish lower back, visible mainly in flight when the wings are spread, gives the bird its name. Adults have a dark, almost bare head and neck and a white ruff at the base of the neck, while young birds are largely dark brown. They nest in loose colonies on the tops of tall trees, often inside protected areas where herds of large mammals guarantee a steady food supply. By clearing carcasses quickly, this vulture provides an essential sanitation service. The species has been Critically Endangered since 2015, mainly because of poisoning events that can kill hundreds of birds at once.
Habitat and distribution
Across Africa south of the Sahara, the white backed vulture occupies a remarkably broad range, from the dry scrublands of the Sahel, from Senegal and Gambia in the west, to the savannas and open woodlands of East and southern Africa. It is strongly tied to landscapes where large herds of ungulates roam, since reliable concentrations of wildlife mean a steady supply of carcasses. The species nests and roosts in colonies, favoring tall trees such as baobabs and acacia species, often inside or close to national parks and game reserves. Countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, and South Africa hold some of the most important populations, while in West Africa the species has become rare outside a few large parks. Birds are capable of covering vast distances each day while soaring on thermals, which means a single individual can patrol hundreds of kilometers in search of food.
Size and identification
The white backed vulture measures 78 to 98 centimeters long, has a wingspan of 1.96 to 2.25 meters, and weighs between 4.2 and 7.2 kilograms, so it is noticeably smaller and slimmer than the Eurasian griffon vulture. In flight, the pale whitish patch across the lower back and rump stands out against the darker wings, and it is this feature that gives the species its name, although it is only visible when the bird banks or spreads its wings. Adults have a dark, almost bare head and neck covered in sparse down and a white ruff at the base of the neck. The upperparts are brownish, while the underside of the wings shows dark flight feathers against a pale leading edge. Juveniles are much darker, largely brown with streaked plumage and no white back, and take several years to reach the clean adult pattern, which makes young birds easy to confuse with other vultures.
Diet
Carrion is the foundation of this vulture's diet, and the bird has evolved remarkable tools for finding and processing it. While soaring at altitude, white backed vultures keep a close watch on both the landscape and on each other: when one bird descends, others in the area follow almost immediately, and within minutes dozens can gather. At a carcass, they compete with other scavengers and often plunge their long, almost bare necks deep into the body cavity to reach soft tissue and organs, which is what they specialize in. They are less able to tear open tough hides, so they often wait for larger vultures or predators to open a carcass first. Their very acidic stomach destroys many of the bacteria found in rotting meat, including those that cause anthrax, which lets them eat food that would make other animals sick. A single bird can eat more than a kilogram of meat in one sitting before returning to a roost tree to rest and digest.
Nesting and breeding
White backed vultures are colonial nesters, but unlike many of their relatives they nest in trees rather than on cliffs. Pairs build a platform of sticks about one meter across on the top of a tall tree, often an acacia or another tree along a river, and colonies can range from a handful of nests to several dozen spread over neighboring trees. The same nests are often reused and added to year after year. The female lays a single egg, which both parents incubate for about eight weeks. The chick then stays in the nest for four to five months, fed by both adults with food carried back in their crops, and it depends on them for a while after its first flight. With only one chick per year at best, breeding is slow: in the Maasai Mara, nests between 2003 and 2007 had a mean success rate of 59 percent, and in Botswana's Linyanti area breeding success dropped from 62 percent in 2006 to 37 percent in 2017. That slow pace is why losing adults to poison hits the species so hard.
Ecological role
Few animals perform as vital a service in African ecosystems as the white backed vulture. A group of these birds can strip a large carcass to bare bone within an hour, preventing the buildup of rotting organic matter that would otherwise attract disease vectors such as rats and flies. Their highly acidic digestive system destroys pathogens including anthrax spores, stopping outbreaks before they spread to livestock or other wildlife. By recycling nutrients from dead animals back into the soil, vultures support plant growth and, in turn, the entire food web. Where vulture populations have collapsed, there is clear evidence that populations of feral dogs have grown, bringing a rise in rabies cases. This makes the survival of vultures a matter of public health, not just wildlife conservation.
Threats
Poisoning is by far the gravest danger facing white backed vultures today. Poachers lace elephant and other large carcasses with agricultural poisons to kill vultures, because their circling above a carcass can alert wildlife rangers to illegal hunting. The scale of these events is shocking: in June 2019, 537 vultures died in northern Botswana after feeding on three poisoned elephants, and 468 of them were white backed vultures. In other cases, farmers poison livestock carcasses to target lions, hyenas, or jackals, killing vultures as unintended victims. Demand for vulture parts in belief based practices, such as traditional medicine and rituals for luck, is a serious pressure in West and southern Africa. Power lines are another hazard, through collisions and electrocution, and the loss of tall nesting trees and wild herds reduces both breeding sites and food. In Botswana's Linyanti area, breeding pairs fell from 73 in 2007 to 22 in 2017. Across Africa, these pressures have caused declines of more than 80 percent over three generations.
Conservation
The IUCN lists the white backed vulture as Critically Endangered. It was considered Least Concern in 1988, was moved to Near Threatened in 2007 and to Endangered in 2012, and reached Critically Endangered in October 2015, a fast slide that reflects the severity of its declines. A study published in 2024 found that its population had fallen by 86 percent. Conservation efforts focus on tackling the poisoning crisis directly: organizations such as BirdLife International and the Vulture Conservation Foundation work with governments and local communities to prosecute poisoners, respond quickly to poisoning events, promote safe veterinary drugs, and show farmers the value of vultures. Making power lines safer against electrocution is another priority, with progress in South Africa and Kenya. Vulture restaurants, feeding sites with clean carcasses, help birds in southern Africa. Protected areas play a key role in safeguarding nesting colonies, and some reserves monitor nest success every season. International cooperation is essential, since these birds cross borders freely and a threat in one country affects populations across the region.
Where it is found
The White backed Vulture can be found in places such as:
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .
Technical factsheet
Frequently Asked Questions
How many white backed vultures are left?
There is no precise current count. The population was estimated at about 270,000 birds in 1992, and it has fallen sharply since then: a study published in 2024 found a decline of 86 percent, and in West Africa losses have been even steeper. The species is still the most numerous large vulture in Africa, with its main strongholds in the parks of East and southern Africa, but its numbers keep dropping.
Why do poachers poison vultures?
Vultures circling in the sky can lead rangers straight to an illegally killed elephant or rhino, so some poachers poison the carcass to kill the birds and hide their crime. The results can be devastating: in June 2019, 537 vultures died in northern Botswana after eating three poisoned elephants, and 468 of them were white backed vultures. A single carcass can wipe out a large share of the vultures in a whole region in one day.
Why is it called the white backed vulture?
The name comes from the whitish patch on its lower back and rump, which contrasts with the darker wings. It is hard to see when the bird is perched with its wings folded, but it shows clearly in flight or when the bird spreads its wings. Only adults have it: young birds are dark brown all over and take several years to develop the white back, the white neck ruff, and the paler adult plumage.
Is the white backed vulture dangerous to humans?
No. The white backed vulture feeds only on animals that are already dead and does not attack people, pets, or healthy livestock. It is shy near humans and usually flies off if approached. The real relationship runs the other way: people are the main danger to vultures, through poisoning, trade in body parts, and power lines, while vultures protect human health by removing carcasses that could spread disease.
Where can you see white backed vultures?
The best places are the big savanna parks of East and southern Africa, where wildlife herds keep them fed: the Maasai Mara in Kenya, the Serengeti in Tanzania, Kruger National Park in South Africa, Hwange in Zimbabwe, and Chobe and the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Look for groups circling high on warm afternoons or gathered at a carcass. In West Africa they are now rare, and large parks such as Niokolo Koba in Senegal and Pendjari in Benin are the best chance.
What does the white backed vulture eat?
White backed vultures feed almost entirely on carrion. They soar high on thermal currents, watching for carcasses and keeping an eye on other vultures in the area. When one bird drops, the rest follow. At a carcass, they often push their bare necks deep inside to reach soft organs. A single bird can eat several kilograms of meat in one sitting.
Where does the white backed vulture live?
This vulture is found across a huge stretch of Africa south of the Sahara, from the dry scrublands of the Sahel down to the savannas of East and southern Africa. It prefers open landscapes where large herds of wildlife roam, since those areas offer a reliable supply of carcasses. Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, and Zambia hold some of the largest populations today.
Why is the white backed vulture endangered?
The biggest threat is poisoning. Poachers lace carcasses with agricultural toxins to kill vultures, whose circling in the sky can tip off park rangers to illegal hunting. Farmers also poison livestock carcasses to target predators, accidentally killing large numbers of vultures. Demand for vulture parts in traditional medicine, collisions with power lines, and habitat loss add to the pressure.
How big is the white backed vulture?
It measures 78 to 98 centimeters long, has a wingspan of 1.96 to 2.25 meters, and weighs 4.2 to 7.2 kilograms. It is the most widespread large vulture in Africa, though it is noticeably smaller than its European cousin, the griffon vulture. That long wingspan allows it to soar for hours on rising air currents without much effort, and it relies almost entirely on its sharp eyesight rather than smell to locate food.
Can white backed vultures get sick from eating rotten meat?
Rarely, and that is one of the most remarkable things about them. Their stomach is extremely acidic and destroys many of the bacteria found in rotting meat, including those that cause anthrax, which would be deadly to most other animals. This means they can safely eat carcasses that have already started to decay. That ability makes them an essential natural cleanup service, stopping dangerous germs from spreading through the environment.
How far can a white backed vulture fly in a single day?
These birds are remarkable fliers. By riding thermals, columns of warm rising air, they can cover hundreds of kilometers in a single day with very little physical effort. This ability lets a single vulture patrol a vast area of savanna in search of carcasses. It also means that threats in one country, such as a mass poisoning event, can affect birds whose home range crosses several national borders.