LC
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes melambrotus



Taxonomy

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.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2024 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency low
Land-mass type Average mass 1,373 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 7,330,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown poor estimated 2009
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 7.53 years - - -

Population justification: The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and over-hunting of prey species (del Hoyo et al. 1994).

Trend justification: The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and over-hunting of prey species (del Hoyo et al. 1994).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Bolivia extant native yes
Brazil extant native yes
Colombia extant native yes
Ecuador extant native yes
French Guiana extant native yes
Guyana extant native yes
Nicaragua extant native yes
Panama extant native yes
Peru extant native yes
Suriname extant native yes
Venezuela extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland major resident
Altitude 0 - 1410 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Greater Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes melambrotus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/greater-yellow-headed-vulture-cathartes-melambrotus on 21/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 21/12/2024.