White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus

A: Witrugaasvoël
G: Weißrückengeier
N: !uri-ǁâ kai-anis
Sp: Lenong la mokološweu
Ss: Leaka
Tw: Lenong le letuba
Z: inqe lehlanze

BIRD FAMILY
Vultures

SIZE
90-98 cm (VL)

HABITAT
A bushveld vulture, it normally outnumbers all others in this habitat and gathers regularly in considerable numbers at carrion sites. In good weather soars all day at a great height. Roosts and nests in trees; cf. Cape Vulture.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION
Common resident. Adult difficult to distinguish from Cape Vulture unless white back is seen; smaller size not always apparent. At close range, the dark (not honey-coloured) eye is seen. Old birds (5yr+) become very pale. In flight and seen from below, all flight feathers equally dark. Immature lacks white rump but differs from immature of Cape Vulture in darker, less rufous plumage, black (not pink) skin on neck and lack of white collar feathers.