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Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus)

Other names:
Afrikaans: Monnikaasvoël
French: Vautour charognard
German: Kappengeier
Dutch: Kapgier


Hooded Vultures are small vultures about 26 inches long. Females are larger than males. They are dark brown, have rather short, rounded tails and thin, weak beaks. The bare skin on their faces is reddish pink but may become bluish when the birds are excited. They have weak feet that are adapted for walking and running, not for clutching branches. Their wings are long and the birds can soar for long periods. In much of its range, there are always several visible soaring in the sky at almost any time during the day.

Looking a bit like a small Lappet-faced Vulture these are highly successful as a species, in part because they are omnivorous and will scavenge from human settlements. At a carcass they can't compete with the larger scavengers and are normally seen around the edges (generally fighting over scraps with other smaller species). Vultures cannot expect to eat every day, as carcasses may not be available. So their crops and gizzards can be distended to hold enough food to last for several days. Even young vultures survive well without daily feedings.

Hooded vultures are silent birds and mated pairs are devoted to each other, roosting together outside the breeding season. They will usually roost close to their preferred breeding site.  In areas where there is little human activity, the population will be sparse; however it is very numerous in the savannahs of Central and West Africa.

Mating takes place in trees, usually near the nest. The female lays one egg that has reddish spots on a whitish base and the incubation of 46 days, is mainly by the female. The male will provide the female food while she is sitting on the egg.  The young chick is helpless and must be watched carefully by the parents and until the chick is 21 days old the male will provide food for both the female and chick.  Feeding by both parents then becomes a rigorous ordeal, especially as its first flight will not be until the young is 120 days old and easily as large as the parents.  The fledgling vulture will still require some parental care until it becomes independent about one month after its first flight.

Arks, I’m not 100% sure but I thinks yours is a White-headed Vulture

I took this photo of a Hooded Vulture near Balule.

Here's a pic of a hooded vulture I came across in the beginning of June '06 in the South of the KNP (Near Paul Kruger Gate).

Very cool looking bird, looks like his mum knitted him a beanie for his head

This is the picture we took last year in Kruger.

I had numerous good sightings of hooded vultures as seen from Letaba camp, bathing in the Letaba river bed in June

This photo is currently posted in the "Trip Reports" section (Trip Report April 19-25), but thought I'd come to the bird ID experts for my answer

The following photo was taken at Crook's Corner, and from a 200m+ distance, and using binos, our group thought these birds were White-headed vultures. However, once I enlarged my photo on the computer, I'm beginning to think they are Lappet-faced vultures. Any thoughts?


Thanks,
mja
Will also be posting some IDs in the general bird category.

It is the Hooded Vulture (Monnikaasvoël).

Took this photo at Mpondo Dam in August 2007.
The Impala scattered when the Hooded Vulture came in for a landing.



After the vulture landed, a young warthog found the bird very interesting and followed it around.

Larger view

This is a hooded vulture?

Kruger, Aug 2008

Yip, adult hooded vulture — white legs, white ruff, white hood feathers. And very nice pix, too!!

Hooded Vulture seen at the carcass of Alexander in Feb. this year.

Link

Hi,

I took these Hooded Vulture pics near Tamboti at the beginning of March.

It was in the morning and they had just woken up





Samantha

Really cute, these vultures.



Pic taken in KNP.