Lappet-faced Vulture

The Lappet-faced Vulture is the largest vulture in Africa and one of the largest in the world, an imposing scavenger with dark brown to blackish body plumage and pale, whitish feathering on the thighs. Its bare head and neck are pink to red, marked by loose folds of skin, or lappets, hanging along the sides of the neck, which give the species its name.

Its bill is disproportionately massive and powerfully hooked, among the largest and strongest of any vulture, an adaptation that lets it tear open tough carcass hide and sinew inaccessible to smaller vulture species.

Key field marks

• Huge size and an exceptionally massive, deep hooked bill
• Bare pink-to-red head and neck with loose folds of skin (lappets) along the neck sides
• Pale, whitish thigh feathering contrasting with dark body plumage
• Broad wings with a pale band along the leading edge, visible in flight

Similar species

It is larger and heavier-billed than the more numerous White-backed and Rüppell's Vultures, which have smaller, less colorful heads and lack lappets. The White-headed Vulture also has a brightly colored bare head but is much smaller with a distinctive black-and-white plumage pattern quite unlike the Lappet-faced Vulture's overall dark, bulky build.

Range

Occurs across sub-Saharan Africa, with a small, disjunct population on the Arabian Peninsula.

Habitat

Prefers arid and semi-arid savanna, semi-desert, and open plains, generally avoiding dense vegetation and high-altitude terrain.

Movement

Sedentary, with pairs defending large, low-density territories and ranging widely in search of carrion.

Behavior

Unlike the highly gregarious vulture species that arrive at carcasses in large flocks, the Lappet-faced Vulture is more often seen alone or in pairs. Its powerful bill lets it be one of the first to open a tough carcass, tearing through thick hide, tendons, and ligaments that other vultures cannot manage, which then allows smaller species access to the softer tissue beneath.

Voice

Generally silent away from the nest or carcasses, where it may give hoarse hissing or grunting sounds during disputes over food.

Nesting

Builds an unusually large stick nest, often in an isolated flat-topped tree, and typically lays a single egg. Its low reproductive rate, combined with threats from poisoning and habitat loss, contributes to its Endangered status and ongoing population declines across its range.