Rüppell's Vulture

Gyps rueppelli

Rüppell's vulture, also called Rüppell's griffon, is a large African vulture of the Sahel, savanna, and dry open country from West Africa into East Africa. Gyps rueppelli has a pale ruff, bare head and neck, and dark brown body feathers edged in cream, giving adults a scaled look. It nests colonially on cliffs and travels long distances on thermals to find carcasses, often feeding with other vultures at large ungulate remains. An aircraft strike recorded above 37,000 feet has been attributed to this species, though that does not represent normal daily flight height.

Private ownership is not a normal context for this bird. Zoo and rescue programs use very large aviaries, high ledges, strong perches, and a carcass-based diet that keeps feet, beak, and social behavior healthy. In the wild, conservation work centers on poisoning response, safer veterinary drugs, powerline risk, nest-cliff protection, and reduced trade in vulture parts. Because Rüppell's vultures feed in groups and breed slowly, losses of adult birds from poisoned carcasses can affect whole colonies.