# Hooded Vulture (*necrosyrtes monachus*) The Hooded Vulture is known for its unique hood-like feathers on its head. These birds play an important role in nature by eating dead animals and keeping the environment clean. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Hooded Vultures are commonly found in open savannas and grasslands across Africa. ![Hooded Vulture](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Hooded_vulture_%28Necrosyrtes_monachus%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hooded_vulture_%28Necrosyrtes_monachus%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Hooded Vulture is a medium-sized bird with dull brownish-black feathers. It has a pale, featherless pinkish-red head and neck, often appearing 'hooded' with soft downy feathers. Its slender bill helps it reach small food. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Accipitriformes - **Family:** Accipitridae - **Genus:** Necrosyrtes ## Interesting facts - Wow! Hooded Vultures have a super strong stomach acid that kills dangerous bacteria in rotting food! - Wow! Hooded Vultures often hang out near people, scavenging scraps in villages and dumps! - Wow! Their bare head and neck stay clean, even when they stick it deep inside carcasses to eat! - Wow! They are sometimes called "nature's clean-up crew" for getting rid of dead animals! ## Special abilities - **Disease Destroyer:** Hooded Vultures can eat rotting meat because it helps clean up the environment and stop diseases from spreading. - **Leftover Locator:** Hooded Vultures have excellent eyesight that helps them spot small bits of food and scraps from high in the sky. - **Small-Space Scavenger:** Hooded Vultures' slender bill and smaller size helps them find food in tight spots bigger vultures cannot reach. - **Airborne Acrobat:** Hooded Vultures can soar effortlessly on warm air currents, using less energy to find food over vast distances. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 60-70 cm - **Wingspan:** 150-170 cm - **Weight:** 1.5-2.6 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-30 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1 - **Incubation:** 48-54 days ## Diet & Feeding These vultures are nature's clean-up crew, eating dead animals and discarded food scraps to keep environments tidy. - **Primary Foods:** Carrion, Refuse, Insects, Faeces, Eggs, Small live prey - **Foraging Method:** Scavenging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Cattle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cattle) (*Bos taurus*) — Scavenges on carcasses of dead cattle in open fields. - **Depends on:** [African Elephant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/african-elephant) (*Loxodonta africana*) — Follows herds, waiting to scavenge naturally deceased elephants. - **Eats:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — Feeds on discarded food and waste found in human settlements. - **Depends on:** Lion (*Panthera leo*) — Waits for lions to finish eating from large kills for leftovers. - **Depends on:** [Spotted Hyena](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-hyena) (*Crocuta crocuta*) — Often seen near hyenas, benefiting from their hunting and scavenging. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always observe wildlife from a distance, and never approach or feed wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Hooded Vulture? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Hooded Vulture? 60-70 cm ### What is Hooded Vulture's wingspan? 150-170 cm ### How much does Hooded Vulture weigh? 1.5-2.6 kg ### How long does Hooded Vulture live? 20-30 years ### How fast can Hooded Vulture move? 50 km/h ### What does Hooded Vulture eat? These vultures are nature's clean-up crew, eating dead animals and discarded food scraps to keep environments tidy. ### Where is Hooded Vulture usually found? Hooded Vultures are commonly found in open savannas and grasslands across Africa. ## Where to spot - [Adlerwarte Berlebeck](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/adlerwarte-berlebeck) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Zoo ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Hooded Vulture: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hooded-vulture)