What's the Problem?

The Hooded Vulture is listed as Critically Endangered due to major population declines in many parts of Africa since the 1990s.

The ecology of the species in southern Africa is poorly understood because, in contrast to Hooded Vultures in West Africa, which are often commensal with humans and easily observed, the Hooded Vulture in southern Africa is elusive, secretive in its breeding habits and primarily resident in protected areas with low human population densities. These habits have led to it being poorly researched. This lack of knowledge now prevents an understanding of:

• the drivers of population dynamics for the species,
• how it relates to the ecosystem of which it is part, and
• the methods required to address the declines that have led to the unfavourable conservation status of the species.

The Hooded Vulture population in South Africa is small (50-100 breeding pairs) and very likely dependent on protected areas and/or areas of low human density for survival. A better understanding of Hooded Vulture ecology is important for conservation efforts aimed at the species both inside protected areas like national parks and game reserves as well as other areas.

Our Project

This project began in 2016 and is a collaboration with several partners: the Birds of Prey Programme of South Africa’s Endangered Wildlife Trust, the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania, USA. There are three main areas of investigation for the project:

• Characterise nest sites of Hooded Vultures.
  1. What key habitat, landscape and inter-specific features are associated with Hooded Vulture nest sites?
  2. What is the availability of potential Hooded Vulture nest sites in Kruger National Park (KNP) and Mapungubwe National Park (MNP)?
• Determine breeding success of Hooded Vultures
  1. What is the annual productivity of Hooded Vultures, based on data from multiple nests over multiple years?
• To estimate population size
  1. Based on nesting habitat availability and observed intra-specific spacing, what is the estimated maximum breeding population of Hooded Vultures in KNP & MNP?
  2. What is the observed age structure of Hooded Vultures in the KNP & MNP where they occur?
  3. Based on breeding population size and observed age structure, what is the estimated population size of Hooded Vultures in SANParks?

The Hooded Vulture is a distinctive species with a characteristic feeding niche. It is dependent upon the availability of large trees along rivers, which is where it nests. The project will provide significant benefits by providing an understanding of where Hooded Vultures fit within the ecosystem from a number of perspectives:

• The avian scavenging guild (feeding ecology)
• Riverine environments and processes (nest site associations)
• Mammals (Inter-specific relationships – e.g. Hooded Vultures regularly associate with lions and wild dogs)
• Disease ecology (e.g. anthrax)

Project Outcomes

The overall goal of this project is to provide baseline data about a species that is currently poorly monitored and increase knowledge about an under-studied system (river characteristics and large nesting birds).