What to Know About the Lapped-faced Vulture in Uganda?

The Lappet-Faced Vulture in Uganda is one of the African birds in Uganda seen during birding safaris.

This is an Old World Vulture belonging to the Accipitriformes bird order also including the Kites, Eagles, Hawks and Buzzards. Scientifically known as Torgos tracheliotos, the Nubian Vulture is not closely related to the superficially similar New World vultures and does not share the good sense of smell of some members of that group.

Although the lappet-faced vulture or Nubian vulture is separated into two subspecies, it was formerly considered monotypical. These species include the nominate race living throughout Africa and here the subspecies T.t. negevensis, which differs considerably in appearance from African vultures, occurs in the Negev desert, Arabian peninsulas and Sinai.

 Distribution and Habitat of the Lappet Faced Vulture

The lappet faced or Nubian Vulture is patchily distributed in much of Africa, though it is found absent from most of the western and central parts of the continent and declining elsewhere in its range.

This bird species breeds in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Niger, Somalia, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana and Swaziland.

Lappet Faced Vulture also breeds on the Arabian Peninsula in the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Oman. The species is also seen in parts of Guinea, Gambia, Angola, Central African Republic and Ivory Coast.

The lappet faced vulture inhabits in dry savannah, arid plains, thornbush, deserts with scattered trees in wadis and open mountain slopes. This bird species is usually found in undisturbed open country with a scattering of trees and apparently prefer areas with minimal grass cover.

Nubian Vulture can be found in living in elevation from sea-level to 4,500m and it wonders into denser habitats while foraging or walking slowly insearch for food, it walks even into human inhabited areas, especially if drawn to road kills.

 Physical description of the Lappet-Face Vulture

This is a huge vulture species which is ranked as the largest and longest winged vulture in its range behind the closely related cinereous vulture although some co-occuring Gyps vultures, on average tend to be heavier  especially the Eurasian griffon and Cape Vulture.

Lappet faced Vulture has a body length measuring around 95 to 115 centimeters comprising of a 2.5 to 2.9 meters wingspan.

NOTE : Among the standard measurements, wing chord measures about 71.5 to 82.5 centimeters together with the tail measuring about 33 to 36 centimeters and the tarsus about 12.2 to 15 Centimeters.

This bird species comprises of the bill measuring up to 10 centimeters long and 5cm deep hence ranked as one of the largest of any accipitrid, although a reported 7.2 cm culmen length is slightly less than the culmen length of the cinereous vulture.

Subspecies T.t. tracheliotus of the wild vultures range from 4.4 to 9.4 kilogram. In East Africa, the bird species has an average of only 6.2Kilograms. Whereas,  the male Captive  vultures of the larger T.t. negevensis subspecies have a weight of about 6.5 to 9.2 kilograms hence slightly smaller than the females which measures about 10.5 to 13.6 kilograms.

 Overall

The lappet faced vulture features a blackish colour above with a strongly contrasting white thigh feathers. However, the African vulture bares of black feathers on the back comprising of brownish lines while Arabian vultures do comprise of dark brown colour rather than black above.

The bird species features a bald head and underside range from pure white to buff brown. It has a head coloration ranging from reddish in Southern parts of Africa to dull pink in Northern Africa and pinkish back of the head hence gray on the front in the Arabian peninsula.

This Nubian vulture’s head  is  bald head is advantageous  due to the feathered head which would become spattered with blood and other fluids hence being difficult to to mantain clean .

Lappet – Faced vulture  have broad, large wings while at flight  which are held with the front edges with the front edges held parallel and slightly pointed , serrated looking wingtips.

 Behavior of the Lappet faced vulture.

This vulture is a scavenging bird species mostly feeding from animal carcasses from which it spots by watching other vultures or by sight.

Many other African vultures often find carrion on their own from where they start tearing through the skin. These vulture species arethe most aggressive and powerful  African species hence other vultures usually cede a carcass to the Lappet – Faced vulture if it decides to assert itself.

During the feeding process, the less powerful vultures often benefit, because the Lappet-Faced or Nubian Vulture tears through the tough hides and knotty muscles of large mammals that the others wouldnot penetrate.

The lappet-faced vulture is frequently seen hanging around the edges of the throngs at large carcasses with the aim of waiting until other vultures have finished feeding on the tendons, remnant skin and other coarse tissues that the others will not eat.