Hooded Vulture

The hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) is a small, scruffy-looking vulture with a distinctive cream-colored hood of downy feathers running from the back of its neck to the crown of its head. It has dark brown plumage, a long thin bill, and a bare crown, face, and fore-neck. The face is typically a light red color, flushing red when agitated. This species is one of the smaller members of the Old World vultures.

Identification Tips

Adult hooded vultures are characterized by their pinkish-white head, which can turn red when they are excited, and a grey to black "hood." They have broad wings for soaring and a short tail. Both sexes appear similar, though females may have longer eyelashes. Juveniles resemble adults but are darker with a purplish sheen to their body feathers.

Habitat

Hooded vultures are found in a variety of habitats, including open grasslands, deserts, wooded savannas, forest edges, and coastal areas. They are often seen around human habitation, waste tips, and abattoirs.

Distribution

This species has a widespread distribution across sub-Saharan Africa, with populations in southern, East, and West Africa. They are most commonly found in the western region of The Gambia.

Behaviour

Hooded vultures are mostly sedentary, rarely moving more than 200 km from their nesting sites. They are known to follow scavenging African wild dogs and hyenas and are often seen in flocks, especially when foraging at abattoirs or on large carcasses. In southern Africa, they tend to be solitary and secretive.

Song & Calls

The hooded vulture is usually silent but may emit a shrill, sibilant whistle during copulation and thin squealing calls at nests and carcasses.

Breeding

These vultures breed in stick nests in trees, often palms, laying a single egg. They may form loose colonies and are most active during the day. The breeding season coincides with the dry season, and young are dependent on their parents for several months post-fledging.

Similar Species

The hooded vulture can be distinguished from other vulture species by its smaller size, distinctive "hood," and the red flush of its face when agitated.

Diet and Feeding

Hooded vultures are scavengers, feeding primarily on carcasses of dead animals and waste. They also consume insects and are seen in large numbers during termite emergences.

Conservation status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has rated the hooded vulture as "critically endangered." The species faces threats from poisoning, hunting, habitat loss, and collisions with electricity infrastructure.

Conservation action

Protected under various international agreements, conservation actions for the hooded vulture include systematic monitoring, protection schemes, and efforts to regulate and limit the use of pesticides and poisons in regions where the species occurs.