Lappet-faced Vulture
Torgos tracheliotos (Forster, JR, 1796)
7 kgWeight
The lappet-faced vulture or Nubian vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) is an Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks.
Busiest months: July–August and November · Most records: Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: July–August and November · Most records: Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa
Lappet-faced Vulture has been recorded at 269 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 27 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania722 records
- Serengeti NPTanzania710 records
- Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya572 records
More places
- Maasai Mara NRKenya569 records
- Tarangire NPTanzania441 records
- Amboseli NPKenya373 records
- Nairobi NPKenya320 records
- Lake Mburo NPUganda319 records
- Serengeti NP – SeroneraTanzania285 records
- Maasai Mara NR – Central sectionKenya243 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The lappet-faced vulture or Nubian vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) is an Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only extant member of the genus Torgos. It is not closely related to the superficially similar New World vultures, and does not share the good sense of smell of some members of that family of birds.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Lappet-faced Vulture?
The Lappet-faced Vulture weighs around 7 kg.
Where does the Lappet-faced Vulture live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread, also Arabian Peninsula. It is most often recorded in Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.
When is the best time to see the Lappet-faced Vulture?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July, August and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Lappet-faced Vulture endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Lappet-faced Vulture as Endangered.
What does the Lappet-faced Vulture eat?
Main food: Carrion.
What family is the Lappet-faced Vulture in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 7 kg
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Carrion
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Endangered
More measurements
- Wing
- 711 mm
- Tail
- 339 mm
- Bill
- 89 mm
- Tarsus
- 138 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread, also Arabian Peninsula
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Torgos
More from the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Pearl KiteGampsonyx swainsonii
Scissor-tailed KiteChelictinia riocourii
White-tailed KiteElanus leucurus
Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
Black-shouldered KiteElanus axillaris
Letter-winged KiteElanus scriptus
African Harrier-HawkPolyboroides typus
Madagascar Harrier-HawkPolyboroides radiatus
Palm-nut VultureGypohierax angolensis
Bearded VultureGypaetus barbatus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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