White-backed Vulture
📸 Photo by Nirav Shah on Pexels
The white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) is a medium-sized Old World vulture of savannas and open woodlands across sub-Saharan Africa. It nests colonially on tall trees, soars to locate carcasses and feeds mainly at large ungulate kills. Highly social at carcasses, it plays a key role as a natural scavenger.
Where do white-backed vultures live?
Across sub-Saharan Africa in savannas and open woodlands. They roost and nest colonially in tall trees near plains with abundant ungulates.
What do white-backed vultures eat?
They feed almost entirely on carrion, locating carcasses while soaring. Their acidic stomachs neutralize pathogens and toxins.
How do you identify a white-backed vulture?
Smaller than griffon vulture, with a pale back that appears whitish in flight, scaly-looking upperparts and a relatively slim neck.
Why are white-backed vultures important?
By rapidly removing carcasses, they reduce disease risk, recycle nutrients and support healthy rangelands with wildlife and livestock.
What threatens white-backed vultures?
Poisoning (intentional or from poisoned predators), power-line collisions, declines in wild prey carcasses and demand for body parts in some regions.
What is the conservation status of the white-backed vulture?
Classified as Critically Endangered. Conservation focuses on anti-poisoning protocols, safe power infrastructure and protecting nesting colonies.
Technical factsheet
Habitat: The White-backed Vulture can be found in Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina-faso, Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote-d-ivoire, Guinea, Cameroon, Central-african-rep, Chad, Sudan, S-sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Congo, Dem-rep-congo, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South-africa, Eswatini