The Rüppell's vulture (
Gyps rueppelli
) is a bird of prey that can fly for several hours a day.
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The Rüppell's vulture: a bird native to tropical Africa
The Rüppell's vulture is native to the Sahel.
This strip of Africa marks a break between the Sahara to the north and the tropical savannah to the south.
It is possible to observe this large bird in spaces with different reliefs: plains, mountains, bushes, savannahs, desert... This vulture belongs to the Accipitridae family, bringing together diurnal raptors (active during the day).
He can live up to the age of 30.
The name of this raptor was chosen in homage to Eduard Rüppell, a Prussian naturalist and explorer.
The latter organized several expeditions to Africa.
Following his travels, he published numerous works in which he described thousands of species.
How to recognize the Rüppell's vulture?
Rüppell's vulture in flight.
Ian Dyball MA / stock.adobe.com
The Rüppell's vulture is characterized by an imposing size.
As an adult, this raptor measures approximately 1 m in length and 2.5 m in wingspan.
As for its weight, it varies between 6.5 and 9 kg.
For comparison, the African vulture (or African gyps) measures between 75 and 95 cm in length and between 1.9 and 2.2 m in wingspan.
Females and males have black plumage with brown or black spots on the body.
Their belly is light brown and their crop is brown.
Finally, their head and neck are recognizable by their beige-colored down and their small white feathers.
The eyes can be yellow or orange.
Did you know ?
Rüppell's vultures don't have feathers on their heads!
How does the Rüppell’s vulture behave?
In terms of diet, the Rüppell's vulture is used to feeding on dead animals.
Usually silent, this scavenger screams when it finds and devours a carcass.
To do this, it uses its sharp and powerful beak to tear flesh.
Its long, bare neck allows it to enter carcasses to find meat.
His keen gaze allows him to spot corpses.
The Rüppell's vulture is gregarious and lives with conspecifics.
A multitude of monogamous pairs follow each other in nature.
This raptor can travel very long distances to find food (up to 150 km).
Where does Rüppell's vulture live?
The Rüppell's vulture is classified on the Red List of "critically endangered" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The world population now numbers only 22,000 individuals.
Protected areas have also been deployed to try to protect this species.
It is found in Senegal, Sudan, Ethiopia and even Kenya.
This vulture likes to nest in cliffs.
The couple gathers twigs and leaves to make their nest.
The Rüppell's vulture can fly very high: a record altitude was recorded at 11,300 m, during a collision of the raptor with an airliner above the city of Abidjan, in Ivory Coast