White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)
The White-backed Vulture is a typical vulture, with only down feathers on the head and neck, very broad wings and short tail feathers. It has a white neck ruff. The adult’s whitish back contrasts with the otherwise dark plumage. Juveniles are largely dark. This is a medium-sized vulture; its body mass is 4.2 to 7.2 kilograms (9.3–16 lb.), it is 78 to 98 cm (31 to 39 in) long and has a 1.96 to 2.25 m (6 to 7 ft.) wingspan.
It is rarer than previously believed, its conservation status was reassessed from Least Concern to Near Threatened in the 2007 IUCN Red List. In 2012 it was further listed to Endangered.
Like other vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses of animals which it finds by soaring overhead. It also takes scraps from human habitations.
for some reason, my response to this post ended up on your post about your software!!! If you are scratching your head, so am I! But, I repeat – I like vultures for themselves, powerful in myth & metaphor, unlovely birds, majestic in flight – all of that. And yes, cleaners
Great photos 
Thanks .. yes a bird we need to do a job we don’t want to do.. and they do it well… but I do wonder why they were created so ugly…
lack of feather would make it easier to keep themselves clean – that’s what I’ve always thought.
he is very healthy looking, obviously no shortage of chow, I see some across the street from me occasionally, they are red and black, great shots!
Thank you… yes I thik they are fairly well fed… and do look healthy… and those across the road from you .. chase them…
they are usually eating road kill, a bunny usually. they clean the street, you would never know it was there!
Fabulous series, Rob!
Thanks Inga
that is an impressive bird and I do hope that they can adapt to our changing environments and find a way to survive.. c
I’m sure they will their status change I think is because no one has done a check lately… “you still see them in the air so why worry…” being the attitude at present…
Quite large, but not a thing of beauty. But as always, good pics!
Thanks Frank.. nice from far but far from nice…
I only see this in movies. You are lucky to see such amazing creatures up close. Amazing! Have a great weekend.
Thank you one of the privileges of living in Africa…
Le foto sono bellissime, scatti veramente ottimi. Lui però è bruttino
Ciao, Patrizia
That is right Pat and I agree.. ugly on the ground but beautiful when flying…
I can’t say it’s an attractive bird, but vultures have gotten a bad wrap for years. We need scavengers like this to clean up the place. In flight they are spectacular
I agree Dianne.. ugly as sin on the ground but absolute angelic in flight..
Super pictures of a … shall we say, less popular? … bird species. I was going to comment on their flying poetry in motion, but I see arsifrtsy got in ahead of me on that. Have you any reasonably close-up flying vulture pictures?
I have of them coming to land at a carcass, but they day we flew with them in a microlite I did not have a camera with me… and that was a mistake… to watch the wing tips moving around as they feel the up draughts that takes them to their heights is a magical moment… absolute poetry in motion…
I wonder if you’ll be able to make the opportunity to repeat the experience – this time plus camera? We have some handy local microlites but no handy local vultures.
in May there is a fly in to the Kalahari by at least 100 microlites.. my friend is going and I’m hoping to be there… so maybe…
I am SO envious!
I agree not the cutest bird but WOW MAGNIFICENT!!! You images are making me miss summer!!!
Please keep the winter there this year… I’ll look after the summer for you…
I’m ON IT!!!
Now where did I put that phone number to old man winter…. HMMM
They are beautiful in flight….just goes to show…everybody has a gift…
How true.. their flight is what makes me so interested in them… being a flying lover, and watching the big military C15 the McDonnell-Douglas coming into land… I’m sure the designer of that plane watched the vulture when they came in to land… I think that is why that plane has such a short landing and takeoff .. someone copied the bird…
Vultures have always seemed creepy to me…
Creepy, ugly and even associated with the witchs etc… but boy can they fly…
Great photographs and information. I remember my partner wanting to start a vulture restaurant when I had my farm. We never got round to it though.
When I lived in Lydenburg they had one there which I often visited… it was fascinating to watch how these birds could clean up a carcass in no time what so ever… they would then charge down hill to get enough speed up to take off… a wonderful learning curve for me…
That will scare the life out me … a city girl. *smile – but the nature needs their’s “bin men” too.
Wish you and the little wife a pleasant weekend.
Thanks Wiki will do…
What a vicious bird!
Big, powerful and a graceful flier…
They look like such powerful birds. Nice pics, Bulldog.
Oh that they are… when one witnesses them ripping open a skin you realise how strong and how sharp their beaks must be,….
I was at a golf course for business the other day and this Lady was sitting waiting for someone… if it wasn’t you it must be a sister.. she looked just like your photo… I nearly asked but didn’t want to make an ass of myself…
No, wasn’t me Bulldog. I haven’t been to a golf course in years
Glad I didn’t ask then.. it could have been construed as a pick up line from an old man…
I can’t imagine how messy the earth would be without scavengers, and yet, I don’t like them. We need them, but I don’t like them, I guess the thought of them sitting in a tree waiting for me to die is what bothers me most.
I hope these guys don’t die out. Too many species are going that way.
A lot of specie are placed on the endangered because no one has done counts etc lately… these are quite profuse in the Kalahari and I think there is always sufficient for them to eat…. I love these birds not for their looks but for their flying ability… nothing can come close…
They’re better looking than our turkey buzzards, for sure.
Sorry – I think they’re called turkey vultures (or buzzards – but not turkey buzzards). I’m still half asleep as I write this.
A bit scary!
If you are lying on the ground and can’t move… I agree…
We have turkey vultures here – they are much darker, but their flight is beautiful. Wonderful shots Bulldog!
Thank you.. I agree not the best looking bird in the nest.. but on the wing I think they are the most graceful fliers around… once in my friends micro-lite we flew near and with a few vultures rising on the hot air… this was like experiencing flight at it’s best… absolute perfect fliers and of course the sight many would like to have…