Rüppell's vulture
Rüppell's vulture | |
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In the Masai Mara, Kenya
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Accipitriformes |
Family: | Accipitridae |
Genus: | Gyps |
Species: | G. rueppelli
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Binomial name | |
Gyps rueppelli (Brehm, AE, 1852)
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Subspecies[2] | |
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Rüppell's vulture (Gyps rueppelli), also called Rüppell's griffon vulture, named after
Distribution
Rüppell's vulture is distributed throughout the Sahel region and East Africa, where it inhabits grasslands, mountains, and woodlands. Once considered common in these habitats, it is experiencing steep declines, especially in the western portion of the range.[3]
Description
The Rüppell's vulture is a large vulture, noticeably outsizing the closely related white-backed vulture, with which they often occur in the wild. Adults are 85 to 103 cm (33 to 41 in) long,[3][6] with a wingspan of 2.26 to 2.6 m (7 ft 5 in to 8 ft 6 in), and a weight that ranges from 6.4 to 9 kg (14 to 20 lb).[3][7][8] Both sexes look alike: mottled brown or black overall with a whitish-brown underbelly and thin, dirty-white fluff covering the head and neck. The base of the neck has a white collar, the eye is yellow or amber, the crop patch deep brown. The head does not have feathers. This is an adaptation that occurred because of the Rüppell vulture's tendency to stick its head inside of its prey when eating. Without the adaptation, feeding would become extremely messy.[9] Silent as a rule, they become vocal at their nest and when at a carcass, squealing a great deal. Rüppell's vultures commonly fly at altitudes as high as 6,000 m (20,000 ft).[10] The birds have a specialized variant of the hemoglobin alphaD subunit; this protein has a great affinity for oxygen, which allows the species to absorb oxygen efficiently despite the low partial pressure in the upper troposphere.[11] A Rüppell's vulture was confirmed to have been ingested by a jet engine of an airplane flying over Abidjan, Ivory Coast on 29 November 1973 at an altitude of 11,300 m (37,000 ft).[5]
Behavior and ecology
It cruises at a speed of 35 km/h (22 mph), but flies for 6–7 hours every day and as far as 150 km (93 mi) from a nest site to find food.[citation needed]
Feeding
Strictly a
Reproduction
This species of vulture is considered to be
Conservation
Since first being assessed by the
Rüppell's vulture is currently listed as an Appendix II species under CITES, which regulates the international trade of animals and plants.[1] Under this designation, the Rüppell's vulture is defined as not being immediately at risk of extinction, although the current population could become threatened without a careful regulation of trade.[15]
The total population of Rüppell's vulture has been estimated to be somewhere around 22,000 individuals, with specific populations in the following areas: Tanzania (3,000 pairs); Kenya (2,000 pairs); Ethiopia (2,000 pairs); Sudan (2,000 pairs); and West Africa (2,000 pairs).[1]
Since 1992, Rüppell's vulture has been occurring as a
Threats
Rüppell's vulture populations are experiencing declining populations throughout their entire range. These declines can be attributed to loss of habitat related to human-related land use, poisoning, human use for medicine or meat,[17] loss of nesting sites, and declining availability of food sources.[18] Poisoning is currently thought to be the most serious threat to all vulture populations in Africa, although they are not usually the intended target. In events where predators such as lions or hyenas have killed livestock, carbofuran poisons have been placed into carcasses as retaliation against the predators.[19] Vultures utilize carrion as their main food source, and one carcass has the potential to attract hundreds of birds to feed because this species identifies food by sight. One evaluation of 10 poisoning events found that each event caused the death of 37 to 600 individuals.[20]
Killing of Rüppell's vultures for use in medicine has also greatly contributed to the rapid population decline. In many African cultures, vultures are used for medicine and magic related to superstitions that they are clairvoyant and can be used to increase a child's intelligence.[19] Establishing protected wildlife areas is thought to be an effective route to protect the Rüppell's vulture from extinction. The Rüppell's vulture breed and nests in cliffs in northern and southern Kenya, as well as Tanzania. These breeding and nesting grounds amass huge numbers of Rüppell's vultures which will raise young and forage in the surrounding area.[21] Considering that the detection rate of Rüppell's vultures was found to be lower in protected areas than outside of them, extending protection to these key breeding sites could help support their population.[19]
See also
- The white-backed vulture, which is slightly smaller and has a shorter neck.
References
- ^ . Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ Gill F, D Donsker & P Rasmussen (Eds). 2020. IOC World Bird List (v10.2). doi : 10.14344/IOC.ML.10.2.
- ^ a b c d "Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppelli) - BirdLife species factsheet". www.birdlife.org. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ Beolens, B.; Watkins, Michael (2003). Whose Bird? Men and Women Commemorated in the Common Names of Birds. London: Christopher Helm. p. 294.
- ^ OCLC 46381512.
- ISBN 978-0856610790
- ISBN 978-1-77007-243-5.
- ISBN 0-618-12762-3
- ^ a b c "Ruppell's griffon vulture". Smithsonian's National Zoo. 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
- S2CID 27550864.
- PMID 3401328.
- ^ "Rüppell's Vulture | the Peregrine Fund".
- ^ "Rüppell's Griffon Vulture Gyps rueppelli". vultures.homestead.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ "Rueppell's griffon videos, photos and facts - Gyps rueppellii". ARKive. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ "The CITES Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ Gutiérrez, R. (2003). "Occurrence of Rüppell's Griffon Vulture in Europe" (PDF). Dutch Birding. 25 (5): 289–303.
- .
- .
- ^ S2CID 1185696.
- hdl:10023/8817.
- .
External links
- "Rüppell's vulture media". Internet Bird Collection.