Gyps rueppellii (Rüppell's vulture, Rüppell's Griffon) 

Rüppellse aasvoël [Afrikaans]; Rüppellgier [Dutch]; Vautour de Rüppell [French]; Sperbergeier [German]

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class: Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial vertebrates) > Tetrapoda (four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota > Reptilia (reptiles) > Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria > Dinosauria (dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) > Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves (birds) > Order: Falconiformes > Family: Accipitridae > Genus: Gyps

Rüppell's vulture, Franklin Park Zoo, New England, USA. [photo Simon DeSantis ©]

Distribution and habitat

Occurs in a band across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia south through Kenya and Uganda to Tanzania. It is a rare vagrant to southern Africa, with records in three different localities - Wabai Hill and Featherstone in southern Zimbabwe, as well as Blouberg in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It generally prefers arid mountainous habitats, although it may move into plains, savannas and steppes in search of food.

References

• Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG 2005. Roberts - Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.