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White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusGyps (Griffon Vultures)
- SpeciesGyps africanus (White-backed Vulture)
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
1,633 Verified sightings at Masai Mara National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
20,542 In all 42 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the White-backed Vulture
The white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the most common vulture species in the continent of Africa. 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 kg (9.3–15.9 lb), it is 78 to 98 cm (31 to 39 in) long and has a 1.96 to 2.25 m (6 ft 5 in to 7 ft 5 in) wingspan.
The white-backed vulture occurs from Senegal, Gambia and Mali in the west, throughout the Sahel region to Ethiopia and Somalia in the east, through East Africa into Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa in the south. It is the most widespread and common vulture in Africa with an estimated range of 24,300,000 km2 (9,400,000 sq mi), but has undergone rapid population declines in recent years.
White-backed vultures are obligate scavengers... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of White-backed Vulture in Masai Mara National Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Addis Ababa | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 2 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Masai Mara National Reserve
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a White-backed Vulture in Masai Mara National Reserve?
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a White-backed Vulture sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, based on 1,633 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 398 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a White-backed Vulture in Masai Mara National Reserve?
September
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a White-backed Vulture in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, against about 30% in January and May–June, the lowest months. That is one of Masai Mara National Reserve's driest months, with about 35 mm of rain against 140 mm in April.
What time of day is best to see a White-backed Vulture?
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-backed Vulture sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Masai Mara National Reserve the best place to see a White-backed Vulture?
10th of 42
Of the 42 parks where we can rate White-backed Vulture sightings, Masai Mara National Reserve ranks 10th at about 40%. The best odds are in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (South Africa, about 70%), Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 60%) and Tarangire National Park (Tanzania, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Where does the White-backed Vulture sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-backed Vulture is recorded against all the birds logged in Masai Mara National Reserve (1,633 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
