White-headed Vulture

White-headed Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis)

The White-headed Vulture is certainly Africa’s most colourful vulture!

Listed as vulnerable in South Africa with only about 120 breeding pairs left, and confined mainly to protected areas.

We watched a pair of them arriving at a cheetah kill and then feeding on the Impala once the cheetah had moved off - Voortrekker road near Afsaal in the Kruger National Park.

The background consists of the leaves of a Red Bushwillow (Combretum apiculatum) starting to turn to their autumn colours.

These vultures are often the first vulture specie to arrive at a carcass, but shy away to the periphery when crowded out by the gregarious griffon species.

With feathers high up on the neck it is known as an outside feeder, as opposed to the various griffon species which have long bare necks and are known as inside feeders. Additional to scavenging they are also predators of small animals, as well as pirating eagles’ prey. Breeding birds are apparently resident and hold territories, laying just one egg per season, and not every season. They are vulnerable to poison baits associated with small-carnivore control and are sought after for traditional medicine.

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