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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 ~60% in a week ~90%
172 Verified sightings at South Luangwa National Park From 2019 to 2026
20,542 In all 42 parks
May 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 South Luangwa National Park
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 South Luangwa National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a White-backed Vulture in South Luangwa National Park?
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-backed Vulture sighting in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, based on 172 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 57th most-seen of the 257 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a White-backed Vulture in South Luangwa National Park?
May and October
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a White-backed Vulture in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April and November, the lowest months. Those are among South Luangwa National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain a month against 310 mm in January.
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 South Luangwa National Park the best place to see a White-backed Vulture?
29th of 42
Of the 42 parks where we can rate White-backed Vulture sightings, South Luangwa National Park ranks 29th at about 20%. 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.
Which relatives of the White-backed Vulture live in South Luangwa National Park?
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the White-backed Vulture that you can see in South Luangwa National Park (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are African Fish-Eagle (about 50%), Bateleur (about 30%) and Banded Snake-Eagle (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
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 South Luangwa National Park (172 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.
