Rüppell's vulture

Rüppell's vulture (Gyps rueppelli), also called Rüppell's

griffon vulture, named after Eduard Rüppell, is a large bird of Rüppell's vulture
prey, mainly native to the Sahel region and East Africa. The
current population of 22,000 is decreasing due to loss of habitat,
incidental poisoning, and other factors.[3] Known also as
Rüppell's griffon, Rueppell's griffon, Rüppell's griffin vulture,
Rueppell's vulture and other variants, it is not to be confused
with a different species, the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus).[4]
Rüppell's vulture is considered to be the highest-flying bird, with
confirmed evidence of a flight at an altitude of 11,300 m
(37,000 ft) above sea level.[5]
In the Masai Mara, Kenya
Distribution Conservation status

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 Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]
the range.[3] Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Description
Kingdom: Animalia
The Rüppell's vulture is a large vulture, noticeably outsizing the Phylum: Chordata
closely related white-backed vulture, with which they often
occur in the wild. Adults are 85 to 103 cm (33 to 41 in) Class: Aves
long,[3][6] with a wingspan of 2.26 to 2.6 m (7 ft 5 in to 8 ft Order: Accipitriformes
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 Family: Accipitridae
overall with a whitish-brown underbelly and thin, dirty-white Genus: Gyps
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 Species: G. rueppelli
brown. The head does not have feathers. This is an adaptation Binomial name
that occurred because of the Rüppell vulture's tendency to stick
its head inside of its prey when eating. Without the adaptation, Gyps rueppelli
feeding would become extremely messy.[9] Silent as a rule, they (Brehm, AE, 1852)
become vocal at their nest and when at a carcass, squealing a Subspecies[2]
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
G. r. rueppelli - (Brehm, AE,
of the hemoglobin alphaD subunit; this protein has a great
affinity for oxygen, which allows the species to absorb oxygen 1852)
efficiently despite the low partial pressure in the upper G. r. erlangeri - Salvadori,
troposphere.[11] A Rüppell's vulture was confirmed to have been 1908
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.
Rüppell's vulture in Nairobi National
Park
Feeding

Strictly a carrion feeder, the Rüppell's vulture has been known to

follow game herds on their seasonal migrations and feeds in large
numbers at carcasses, usually with other Old World vulture species.
Though it might take advantage of the remains of an animal killed by
a lion, or other large predator, it can also feed on animals that have
died from injuries, disease, or old age. Though they prefer freshly-
killed meat, they can eat older carcasses without a problem.[12]
Skull without the ramphotheca
Rüppell's vultures have several adaptations to their diet and are
specialized feeders even among the Old World vultures of Africa.
They have an especially powerful build and, after the most attractive
soft parts of a carcass have been consumed, they will continue with
the hide, and even the bones, gorging themselves until they can barely
fly. They have backward-pointing spikes on the tongue to help
remove meat from bone. Despite their size, power and adaptations,
they are not the most dominant vulture in their range, the most
dominant species is considered to be the even larger lappet-faced
vulture.[13] Head of an adult

Reproduction

This species of vulture is considered to be monogamous, forming

lifelong breeding pairs. After courtship the pair will work together
to build a nest using sticks, grass, and leaves that they have
gathered or stolen from other nests.[9] Rüppell's vultures build these
nests on cliffs, and in key breeding areas they are known to nest in
large colonies containing hundreds of breeding pairs. Both parents
share in incubation of their egg over a period of 55 days. Once the Rüppell's vulture in Ethiopia
chick hatches, both parents will feed and tend to it for about 150
days when it fledges.[9][14] Young remain dependent on their
parents after fledging, not reaching independence until the next breeding season. During this time they learn
how to find and compete for food.

Conservation
Since first being assessed by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature in 1988, populations of Rüppell's vulture
have decreased. The species has been listed with an IUCN Red
List status of "near threatened" since 2007, and populations are
estimated to decline.[1] From 2012 to 2014 the Rüppell's vulture
was listed as Endangered; however, it was reassessed in 2015 as
Critically Endangered.[1]

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 At a blue wildebeest carcass in the
not being immediately at risk of extinction, although the current Mara River at the Masai Mara
population could become threatened without a careful regulation of National Reserve
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 vagrant in

Spain and Portugal, with annual records since 1997, mainly in the
Cádiz and Strait of Gibraltar area, but also further north.[16]

Threats Egg

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
Nestling
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
1. BirdLife International (2021). "Gyps rueppelli" (https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2269520
7/204723468). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T22695207A204723468.
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22695207A204723468.en (https://doi.org/10.2305%2
FIUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22695207A204723468.en). Retrieved 14 February 2022.
2. Gill F, D Donsker & P Rasmussen (Eds). 2020. IOC World Bird List (v10.2). doi :
10.14344/IOC.ML.10.2.
3. "Rüppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppelli) - BirdLife species factsheet" (https://web.archive.org/web/
20150912085017/http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factsheet/22695207).
www.birdlife.org. Archived from the original (http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/factshe
et/22695207) on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
4. Beolens, B.; Watkins, Michael (2003). Whose Bird? Men and Women Commemorated in the
Common Names of Birds. London: Christopher Helm. p. 294.
5. Laybourne, Roxie C. (December 1974). "Collision between a Vulture and an Aircraft at an
Altitude of 37,000 Feet" (http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/v086n04/p046
1-p0462.pdf) (PDF). The Wilson Bulletin. 86 (4): 461–462. ISSN 0043-5643 (https://www.wor
ldcat.org/issn/0043-5643). JSTOR 4160546 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4160546).
OCLC 46381512 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/46381512).
6. Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi by
Stevenson & Fanshawe. Elsevier Science (2001), ISBN 978-0856610790
7. Sinclair, I.; Hockey, P. (2005). Sasol: The Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds of Southern Africa
(https://books.google.com/books?id=jZTl2rn9uTYC&pg=PA86). Illustrated by Norman Arlott
and Peter Hayman (Second ed.). Cape Town: Struik Publishers. ISBN 978-1-77007-243-5.
8. Ferguson-Lees, C., Franklin, M. & Burton, H.M. (2001) Raptors of the World ISBN 0-618-
12762-3
9. "Ruppell's griffon vulture" (https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/ruppells-griffon-vulture).
Smithsonian's National Zoo. 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
10. Scott, G. R. (2011). "Elevated performance: the unique physiology of birds that fly at high
altitudes". Journal of Experimental Biology. 214 (15): 2455–2462. doi:10.1242/jeb.052548 (h
ttps://doi.org/10.1242%2Fjeb.052548). PMID 21753038 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21
753038). S2CID 27550864 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:27550864).
11. Weber, RE; Hiebl, I; Braunitzer, G. (April 1988). "High altitude and hemoglobin function in
the vultures Gyps rueppellii and Aegypius monachus". Biological Chemistry Hoppe-Seyler.
369 (4): 233–40. doi:10.1515/bchm3.1988.369.1.233 (https://doi.org/10.1515%2Fbchm3.198
8.369.1.233). ISSN 0177-3593 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0177-3593). PMID 3401328 (h
ttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3401328).
12. "Rüppell's Vulture | the Peregrine Fund" (https://www.peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-spe
cies/vultures/ruppells-vulture).
13. "Rüppell's Griffon Vulture Gyps rueppelli" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070902045338/htt
p://vultures.homestead.com/Ruppells.html). vultures.homestead.com. Archived from the
original (http://vultures.homestead.com/Ruppells.html) on 2 September 2007. Retrieved
12 December 2012.
14. "Rueppell's griffon videos, photos and facts - Gyps rueppellii" (https://web.archive.org/web/2
0160322105430/http://www.arkive.org/rueppells-griffon/gyps-rueppellii/). ARKive. Archived
from the original (http://www.arkive.org/rueppells-griffon/gyps-rueppellii/) on 22 March 2016.
Retrieved 29 February 2016.
15. "The CITES Appendices | CITES" (https://cites.org/eng/app/index.php). cites.org. Retrieved
29 February 2016.
16. Gutiérrez, R. (2003). "Occurrence of Rüppell's Griffon Vulture in Europe" (https://www.dutchb
irding.nl/journal/pdf/DB_2003_25_5.pdf) (PDF). Dutch Birding. 25 (5): 289–303.
17. Thiollay, J.-M. (2006). "The decline of raptors in West Africa: long-term assessment and the
role of protected areas". Ibis. 148 (2): 240–254. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00531.x (http
s://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1474-919X.2006.00531.x).
18. Virani, M.Z.; Kendall, C.; Njoroge, P.; Thomsett, S. (2011). "Major declines in the abundance
of vultures and other scavenging raptors in and around the Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya".
Biological Conservation. 144 (2): 746–752. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.10.024 (https://doi.or
g/10.1016%2Fj.biocon.2010.10.024).
19. Ogada, D.L. (2014). "The power of poison: pesticide poisoning of Africa's wildlife". Annals of
the New York Academy of Sciences. 1322 (1): 1–20. Bibcode:2014NYASA1322....1O (http
s://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014NYASA1322....1O). doi:10.1111/nyas.12405 (https://doi.o
rg/10.1111%2Fnyas.12405). PMID 24716788 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24716788).
S2CID 1185696 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:1185696).
20. Ogada, D.; Shaw, P.; Beyers, R.L.; Buij, R.; Murn, C.; Thiollay, J.M.; Beale, C.M.; Holdo,
R.M.; Pomeroy, D. (2015). "Another Continental Vulture Crisis: Africa's Vultures Collapsing
toward Extinction" (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fconl.12182). Conservation Letters. 9 (2): 89–
97. doi:10.1111/conl.12182 (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fconl.12182).
21. Virani, M.Z.; Monadjem, A.; Thomsett, S.; Kendall, C. (2012). "Seasonal variation in breeding
Rüppell's Vultures Gyps rueppellii at Kwenia, southern Kenya and implications for
conservation" (https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0959270911000505). Bird Conservation
International. 22 (3): 260–269. doi:10.1017/S0959270911000505 (https://doi.org/10.1017%2
FS0959270911000505).

External links
"Rüppell's vulture media" (https://www.hbw.com/ibc/species/ruppells-vulture-gyps-rueppelli).
Internet Bird Collection.

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