# Lappet-Faced Vulture (*torgos tracheliotos*) The Lappet-Faced Vulture is a large bird with a unique and colorful appearance. They have a special role in nature by helping to clean up the environment by eating dead animals! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Savannas and open grasslands in Africa. - **Also known as:** African Lappet-Faced Vulture, Lappet Vulture, Torgos Vulture ![Lappet-Faced Vulture](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lappet-faced_Vulture_%28Torgos_tracheliotos%29%252C_Kgalagadi%252C_South_Africa_%286526355327%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lappet-faced_Vulture_%28Torgos_tracheliotos%29%252C_Kgalagadi%252C_South_Africa_%286526355327%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Lappet-Faced Vulture is a massive bird with dark brown to black feathers, contrasting with whitish underparts and leg feathers. Its most distinctive feature is the large, pinkish-red, bare head and neck. These are adorned with prominent fleshy folds or 'lappets' on the sides of its face, making it easily distinguishable. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Accipitriformes - **Family:** Accipitridae - **Genus:** Torgos ## Interesting facts - Their massive nests can be up to two meters wide and deep! - These vultures are solitary diners, rarely sharing a meal with others! - They have the strongest beak of all African vultures, tearing tough skin. - Young vultures have fuzzy white heads, not bare and red like adults! ## Special abilities - **Super Scavenger Vision:** Lappet-Faced Vultures have incredibly sharp eyesight that helps them spot carcasses from very high altitudes. - **Tearer Beak:** Lappet-Faced Vultures can tear through tough hides and muscle with their powerful beaks, helping them access meat others can't. - **Heat Deflector Head:** Lappet-Faced Vultures have a bare head and neck that helps them regulate body temperature in hot climates and stay clean. - **Dominant Diner:** Lappet-Faced Vultures have an imposing size and aggressive nature that helps them dominate at feeding sites. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 95-115 cm - **Wingspan:** 250-290 cm - **Weight:** 4.4-9.4 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-30 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1 - **Incubation:** 54-56 days ## Diet & Feeding These powerful vultures eat mostly dead animals, tearing through tough hides that other scavengers can't. - **Primary Foods:** carcasses of large mammals, smaller dead animals, tortoises, fish, insects - **Foraging Method:** Scavenging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [African Elephant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/african-elephant) (*Loxodonta africana*) — Scavenges carrion from deceased individuals. - **Depends on:** [African Lion](https://www.snappit.app/explore/african-lion) (*Panthera leo*) — Benefits from lion kills as a major food source. - **Eats:** Thomson's Gazelle (*Gazella thomsonii*) — Feeds on carrion from various natural causes. ## 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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always observe wild animals from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Lappet-Faced 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 Lappet-Faced Vulture? 95-115 cm ### What is Lappet-Faced Vulture's wingspan? 250-290 cm ### How much does Lappet-Faced Vulture weigh? 4.4-9.4 kg ### How long does Lappet-Faced Vulture live? 20-30 years ### How fast can Lappet-Faced Vulture move? 60 km/h ### What does Lappet-Faced Vulture eat? These powerful vultures eat mostly dead animals, tearing through tough hides that other scavengers can't. ### Where is Lappet-Faced Vulture usually found? Savannas and open grasslands in Africa. ## 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: [Lappet-Faced Vulture: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lappet-faced-vulture)