Rüppell's Vulture
Gyps rueppelli
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Epic
- Observations
- 1,275
- Most observed in
- 🇹🇿 Tanzania
- Conservation
- Critically Endangered
Description
Rüppell's vulture (Gyps rueppelli), also called Rüppell's griffon vulture or Rüppell's griffon, a species of vulture named after Eduard Rüppell, is a large, resident bird of prey, mainly native to the Sahel region and East Africa. It is considered to be the highest-flying bird, with confirmed evidence of a flight at an altitude of 11,300 m (37,000 ft), where the average temperature is about −56 °C (−69 °F). The former population of 22,000 individuals has been decreasing due to loss of habitat, incidental poisoning, and other factors. It is therefore listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Rüppell's vulture”.