White-backed Vulture

White-backed Vulture coming in for a landing

Except if one can see it's white back, they can be easily confused with the Cape Vulture as their looks are very similar. White-backed Vultures have dark eyes. In-flight it has a white cross and all feathers underneath the wings are even in colour (dark). They live in the bush and can gather in large groups at a carcass. On good days they will fly high in the sky for long. These creatures are highly mobile and can cover several 100 km's a day in search of food. Vultures are facing the threat of extinction, with the White-backed listed as vulnerable. Threats are poisoning, persecution, electrocution when colliding with power lines, drowning in farm reservoirs, shortage of safe food and loss of habitat. They make their nests in trees. Becomes 90-98cm (Witrugaasvoël - Gyps africanus)

White cross can be seen in flight

At a carcass