Woolly vulture

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Woolly vulture
Woolly vulture

Woolly vulture

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Birds of prey (Accipitriformes)
Family : Hawk species (Accipitridae)
Subfamily : Old World Vulture (Aegypiinae)
Genre : Woolly vulture
Type : Woolly vulture
Scientific name of the  genus
Trigonoceps
Lesson , 1842
Scientific name of the  species
Trigonoceps occipitalis
( Burchell , 1824)

The woolly vulture ( Trigonoceps occipitalis ) is a bird of prey from the subfamily of Old World vultures (Aegypiinae). The genus Trigonoceps is monotypical , that is, the woolly vulture is the only species in the genus. This vulture has a strongly disjointed range in sub- Saharan Africa . Due to the continuing decline in the population, the IUCN classifies the species as endangered ("vulnerable").

description

Woolly vultures are medium-sized Old World vultures with long wings and a slightly rounded tail end. The body length is 72–82 cm, the wingspan 207–223 cm and the weight 3.3–5.3 kg. The feathered part of the head, the neck, lower abdomen, trousers and under tail covers are white because the cover feathers are missing and the white downy plumage is exposed. In the females, the inner arm wings are also white. The top and the rest of the underside are blackish brown, the middle upper wing covers are lighter brownish. The head downs form an implied hood on the back of the head. The type epitheton occipitalis indicates this peculiarity (Latin occiput = back of the head). The featherless part of the head and the front neck are pastel pink; when excited, these areas turn more intense red. The iris is dark yellow. The wax skin and the base of the lower beak are brightly pale cobalt blue, the rest of the beak is orange-red. The featherless parts of the legs and the toes are pink, the strong claws are black.

distribution and habitat

The disjoint distribution area covers large parts of Africa south of the Sahara from Senegal in the west via Sudan to Eritrea in the east. In the south it reaches the northern parts of South Africa up to the Orange River .

The species primarily inhabits savannas , open land with thorn bushes and sparsely wooded grassland. When searching for food, more densely forested areas and completely unwooded landscapes up to semi-deserts are sought. Woolly vultures can be found up to an altitude of 4000 m.

nutrition

Portrait of a woolly vulture

The food mainly consists of all kinds of carrion . Woolly vultures also prey on nestling flamingos and probably also small mammals , birds and reptiles . Fish washed up on the banks and beaches, as well as grasshoppers, other large insects and their larvae and termites are also part of the food spectrum. Occasionally, the animals parasitize on other species of birds of prey and marabous . The species is often the first to arrive at a larger carrion, but is not dominant there and must therefore soon give way to larger vultures.

Reproduction

Woolly vultures breed in pairs. The courtship consists of common circles over the breeding area and sitting close together near the nest. The nest is preferably placed on the crown of an acacia or other flat-crowned tree. It is made of twigs, padded with grass and hair and has a diameter of 80–170 cm and a height of 20–60 cm. Only one egg is laid and both parents incubate for about 51 to 56 days. The young bird can fledge after 110 to 120 days. The breeding process is strongly influenced by the amount of precipitation; in years with below-average rainfall, up to 61% of the breeding pairs in an area expose themselves to the brood.

Existence and endangerment

The development of the population varies from region to region, but overall the population has decreased significantly in recent decades. Sharp decreases in populations have been recorded in West Africa since the early 1940s; in southern Africa the species is now largely restricted to reserves. The IUCN estimates the total population at 7,000 to 12,500 birds.

The main causes of the decline are evidently a lack of food due to the reduction in the number of large and small mammals and habitat destruction due to changes in use. Other factors that endanger the survival are poisoning by poison bait and disturbances in the nest. Due to the continuing decline in the population, the IUCN classifies the species as endangered ("vulnerable") worldwide.

swell

literature

Web links

Commons : Woolly Vulture  - Collection of images, videos and audio files