Trigonoceps occipitalis
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-headed_vulture
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
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.
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.
