White-headed Vulture
CR

White-headed Vulture

Trigonoceps occipitalis

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-headed_vulture

Overview

The white-headed vulture is an Old World vulture endemic to Africa. Populations have been declining steeply in recent years due to habitat degradation and poisoning of vultures at carcasses. An extinct relative was also present in the Indonesian island of Flores during the Late Pleistocene, indicating that the genus was more widespread in the past.

The White-headed Vulture faces severe population declines across its African range, with numbers dropping by over 90% in some regions since the 1990s. Poisoning represents the most critical threat, both from deliberate persecution by livestock farmers and secondary poisoning from consuming carcasses of animals killed by poisons intended for predators. Habitat loss through agricultural expansion and human settlement development has eliminated crucial nesting sites, while collision with power lines causes significant direct mortality.

Threat summary

Habitat

White-headed Vultures inhabit open savannas, grasslands, and semi-arid regions across sub-Saharan Africa, preferring areas with scattered trees for nesting and roosting. They require large territories with adequate populations of medium to large mammals that provide carrion, typically avoiding dense forests and extremely arid desert regions.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical dry· majorDesert· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementSpecies recoveryAwareness & communicationsLegislation

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Frequently asked questions

Why is White-headed Vulture classified as Critically Endangered?
White-headed Vulture is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The White-headed Vulture faces severe population declines across its African range, with numbers dropping by over 90% in some regions since the 1990s. Poisoning represents the most critical threat, both from deliberate persecution by livestock farmers and secondary poisoning from consuming carcasses of animals killed by poisons intended for predators. Habitat loss through agricultural expansion and human settlement development has eliminated crucial nesting sites, while collision with power lines causes significant direct mortality.
Where does White-headed Vulture live?
White-headed Vulture occurs in Botswana, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau (plus 4 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to White-headed Vulture?
The main threats to White-headed Vulture are 2.1, 2.3, 5.1, and 5.3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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