We saw hooded vultures in Ghana four years ago. Since then the IUCN has downgraded their status from endangered to critically endangered as their population has declined 83% over the past three generations.
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| Hooded vultures in Hwange NP. |
The hooded vulture has a white head that flushes red when agitated and has a grayish "hood" which gives it its name.
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| Gray hood visible. |
It is smaller than other vultures and can't compete with the larger vultures at kills. With its long, narrow beak, it can get into crevices that larger vultures can't and tends to be the last vulture to leave a carcass. When I saw the tail-end of the vulture show at the Safari Lodge in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where they feed the leftover bones from the BOMA the night before, all that was left were hooded vultures and marabou storks.
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| Hooded vulture outside the Safari Lodge. |
We saw them several times in Hwange NP in Zimbabwe.
It's always a thrill (and a little sad) to see a critically endangered species. Who knows if you--or anyone--will have that opportunity down the road.
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