Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
---|---|---|
A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd | A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd | A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd |
Year | Category | Criteria |
---|---|---|
2018 | Critically Endangered | A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd |
2016 | Critically Endangered | A2bcd+3bcd |
2015 | Critically Endangered | A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd |
2012 | Endangered | A2bcd+3bcd+4bcd |
2008 | Near Threatened | A2b,c,d; A3b,c,d; A4b,c,d |
2007 | Near Threatened | |
2004 | Least Concern | |
2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | Low |
Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Estimate | Data quality | |
---|---|---|
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 23,400,000 | medium |
Number of locations | 11-100 | - |
Fragmentation | - |
Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
No. of mature individuals | medium | estimated | 2001 | |
Population trend | Decreasing | poor | estimated | - |
Decline (3 years/1 generation past) | - | - | - | |
Decline (5 years/1 generation past) | - | - | - | |
Decline (10 years/1 generation past) | - | - | - | |
Decline (10 years/3 generation future) | 75-95 | - | - | - |
Decline (10 years/3 generation past and future) | 75-95 | - | - | - |
Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
Largest subpopulations | - | - | - | |
Generation length (yrs) | 18.3 | - | - | - |
Population justification: The species's global population has been estimated at 270,000 individuals.
Trend justification: The most recent data on this species's population suggests that the species has declined extremely rapidly, with a median estimate of 90% (range: 75-95%) over three generations (55 years) (Ogada et al. 2016a). Declines have exceeded 90% in West Africa (Thiollay 2006), and have also occurred in other parts of the range, e.g. in Sudan (Nikolaus 2006) and Kenya (M. Virani in litt. 2006). Populations are apparently stable in Ethiopia (Nikolaus 2006) and Tanzania (D. Peterson in litt. 2006). Virani et al. (2011) documented an apparent decline of c. 52% over c.15 years in the numbers of Gyps vultures present in Masai Mara (Kenya) during the ungulate migration season, while in central Kenya an apparent decline of 69% was noted in the numbers of Gyps vultures between 2001 and 2003 (Ogada and Keesing 2010). As these are visiting individuals from a wide-ranging population, declines observed in Masai Mara may be representative of declines in Gyps populations ranging across East Africa from southern Ethiopia to southern Tanzania (C. Kendall in litt. 2012).
Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Presence | Resident | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angola | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Benin | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Botswana | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Burkina Faso | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Burundi | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Cameroon | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Central African Republic | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Chad | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Côte d'Ivoire | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Eritrea | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Eswatini | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Ethiopia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Gambia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Ghana | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Guinea | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Guinea-Bissau | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Kenya | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Lesotho | V | Extant | Yes | |||
Liberia | V | Extant | Yes | |||
Malawi | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Mali | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Mauritania | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Mozambique | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Namibia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Niger | N | Possibly Extant | Yes | |||
Nigeria | N | Possibly Extant | Yes | |||
Rwanda | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Senegal | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Sierra Leone | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Somalia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
South Africa | N | Extant | Yes | |||
South Sudan | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Sudan | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Tanzania | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Togo | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Uganda | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Zambia | N | Extant | Yes | |||
Zimbabwe | N | Extant | Yes |
Country/Territory | IBA Name |
---|---|
South Africa | Zululand |
South Africa | Kalahari-Gemsbok National Park |
South Africa | Phongolo Nature Reserve |
South Africa | Barberspan and Leeupan |
Senegal | Dindefello Natural Reserve |
South Africa | Dronfield |
South Africa | Benfontein |
South Africa | Mapungubwe |
Kenya | Ol Ari Nyiro |
Kenya | Hells Gate National Park |
South Africa | Ndumo Game Reserve |
Kenya | Kwenia |
Kenya | Lolldaiga-Mugogodo-Ewaso N'yiro |
Kenya | Nairobi National Park |
Guinea | Foret Classe de Balayan Souroumba |
Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
---|---|---|---|
Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | resident |
Desert | Hot | suitable | resident |
Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
Savanna | Dry | suitable | resident |
Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
Altitude | 0 - 3500 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching - Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
|
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Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
|
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Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Persecution/control | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Unintentional effects (species is not the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
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Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents - Herbicides and pesticides | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
|
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Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents - Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 7 | ||||||
|
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Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
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Transportation & service corridors | Utility & service lines | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Declines | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
|
Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pets/display animals, horticulture | - | - | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2021) Species factsheet: Gyps africanus. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 18/01/2021.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2021) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 18/01/2021.