What to Know About Hooded Vulture in Uganda?

The Hooded Vulture in Uganda is one of the African birds in Uganda seen during Uganda birding tours.

This critically endangered bird is an Old World Vulture which is known as Necrosyrtes monachus scientifically that is broken down into Necro meaning it feeds on carrion, syrtes which stands for quicksand and monachus meaning the hood nature of the vulture species. This bird species is found dwelling within the Accipitridae family and Accipitriformes order and it is native to the Sub Saharan Africa where it spreads with a wide distribution in the West, Southern and East Africa. Etymologically, the Vulture species’ name derives from the fact that the hooded vulture features a small patch of downy feathers running on its neck’s back to the crown of the head hence looking like its wearing a fluffy cream coloured wood. 

Physical description of the Hooded Vulture

Generally the Hooded Vulture is a small bird species and the smaller among the Old World Vultures which measures from  62 to 72 centimeters in length and weighing about 1.5 to 2.6 kilograms. The Vulture species is characterized with a wide wing spanning over 155 to 189 centimeters hence having broad wings for soaring high.

The Hooded Vulture features a pinkish white head which flashes red when agitated and has a grey to blackish coloured hood. It is characterized with a scruffy looking and bares a uniformly dark brown layer of feathers or body plumage.

Hooded Vulture bares a long thinned bill along with a crown and short tail feathers. It features a light red coloured face and has a downy nape along with hind neck. Both male and female Hooded vultures have similar sexes and look alike in appearance however the female species features longer eyelashes than that of the male bird.

The juvenile bird species is characterised with a plainer and darker coloured body hence having a purplish sheen layer of feathers on the body although it looks like the adult Hooded Vulture.

 Behaviour of the Hooded Vulture

Hooded Vulture is usually a silent bird which utters a shrill, thin squealing calls at carcasses and nest and sibilant whistle during copulation. It is a scavenging bird which feeds mostly on carcasses of dead animals along side wastes.

During hunting period, the bird soars high around human habitation and over savannah with waste tips and abattoirs hence also feeding on insects such as termites where they conglomerate in large numbers with other bird species that is Steppe Eagles.

This vulture species is unafraid of humans and mainly frequents around habitation hence moving in flocks of about 50 to 250 individuals mostly while foraging at elephant carcasses and abattoirs. It is a duinal bird species that is mostly active during day and its range is smaller when its movement is limited by a nest site location within the dry breeding season to which it must return on a regular basis for incubation purposes.

The Hooded Vulture is widely distributed in Africa and inhabits areas in East Africa that include Uganda, south Sudan, Chad, Somalia and Ethiopia however it has a relatively small home ranges. It is also found dwelling within Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Nigeria, Gambia, Mauritania and Niger in the western Africa.

 Breeding and Reproduction process of the Hooded Vulture

During the breeding period, both mates do participate in the construction of the nest which is always built in a well foliaged or tall tresss along water courses. The nest is placed prominently like a fork within the canopy of the tree with an average height of 15 meters. Nesting is also done in deserts, along coasts, open grasslands, forest edges and within the wooded Savannah.

The breeding vulture species do form loose colonies and the population is mostly sedentary and resident hence rarely moving about 200 kilometers from the breeding ground.

When the reproduction period approaches, the female lays a clutch of only one egg  which is incubated by both parents for a period of 46 to 54 days. The chick is taken care of by the parents and develop layer of feathers on the body hence fledging at 80 to 130 days.

The young one will continue depending on its parents for another 3 to 4 months after fledging process until it is fully able to hunt food for its self.