Cathartes melambrotus
Silhouette: Jan Sevcik (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The greater yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes melambrotus), also known as the forest vulture, is a species of bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. It was considered to be the same species as the lesser yellow-headed vulture until they were split in 1964. It is found in South America in tropical moist lowland forests. It is a fairly large bird, with a wingspan of 166–178 cm (65–70 in), a weight of 1.65 kilograms (3.6 lb) and a body length of 64–75 cm (25–30 in). The body plumage is black, and the head and neck, which are featherless, range in color from deep yellow to pale orange. It lacks a syrinx, and its vocalizations are therefore limited to grunts or low hisses.
The greater yellow-headed vulture feeds on carrion and locates carcasses by sight and by smell, an ability which is rare in birds. It is dependent on larger vultures, such as the king vulture, to open the hides of larger animal carcasses, as its bill is not strong enough to do this. Like other New World vultures, the greater yellow-headed vulture utilizes thermals to stay aloft with minimal effort. It lays its eggs on flat surfaces, such as the floors of caves, or in the hollows of stumps. It feeds its young by regurgitation. Wikipedia →
Recording
© Cameron Rutt · XCXC540005 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 4 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bioparc Fuengirola | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Yellow-headed Vulture sighting in Sierra de la Macarena National Park on a given day, based on 125 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 96th most-seen of the 418 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, April, June, October and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Yellow-headed Vulture in Sierra de la Macarena National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August, the lowest month.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greater Yellow-headed Vulture sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Greater Yellow-headed Vulture sightings, Sierra de la Macarena National Park ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (Ecuador, about 50%), Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 50%) and Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Cathartes
The closest relatives of the Greater Yellow-headed Vulture that you can see in Sierra de la Macarena National Park (genus Cathartes, Turkey and Yellow-headed Vultures) are Turkey Vulture (about 30%) and Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greater Yellow-headed Vulture is recorded against all the birds logged in Sierra de la Macarena National Park (125 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.
