# Palm-nut Vulture (*Gypohierax angolensis*) The Palm-nut Vulture is a special bird that loves to eat palm nuts! It has a unique look with a big beak and fluffy feathers. These birds are often seen soaring high in the sky. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Palm-nut Vulture](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gypohierax_angolensis_-Jurong_Bird_Park-8a.jpg&width=800) Photo: Schristia, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gypohierax_angolensis_-Jurong_Bird_Park-8a.jpg) ## Appearance The Palm-nut Vulture has a striking appearance with its mostly white body and bold black flight feathers on its wings and tail. It features a bright, bare orange-red face and a sturdy yellow beak, making it look very different from most other vultures. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Accipitriformes - **Family:** Accipitridae - **Genus:** Gypohierax ## Interesting facts - It uses its strong, hooked beak to pluck oil palm fruits directly from trees. - These vultures sometimes build enormous nests, measuring over a meter wide, high in palm trees. - Unlike other vultures, its diet is mostly vegetarian, focusing on oil palm fruits! - Young Palm-nut Vultures are brown and don't get their white adult feathers until years later. ## Special abilities - **Palm Fruit Feast:** Palm-nut Vulture can eat tough oil palm fruit because of its unique digestive system, helping it thrive where other vultures cannot. - **Aquatic Hunter:** Palm-nut Vulture can actively catch fish and crabs from water, an unusual skill for a vulture, helping it find diverse food. - **Effortless Soarer:** Palm-nut Vulture has broad, strong wings that help it soar effortlessly for hours, allowing it to scan vast areas for food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 45-60 cm - **Wingspan:** 130-150 cm - **Weight:** 1.3-1.7 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-30 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 44-50 days ## Diet & Feeding Unlike most vultures, this unique bird primarily eats oil palm fruit, fish, and crabs! - **Primary Foods:** Oil palm fruit, Fish, Crabs, Small reptiles, Carrion - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** Oil Palm (*Elaeis guineensis*) — Their primary food source is the fruit of this tree. - **Eats:** Nile Tilapia (*Oreochromis niloticus*) — They actively catch and eat various fish species. - **Eats:** African Land Crab (*Cardisoma armatum*) — They frequently prey on crabs found in coastal areas. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [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. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and never try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Palm-nut 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 Palm-nut Vulture? 45-60 cm ### What is Palm-nut Vulture's wingspan? 130-150 cm ### How much does Palm-nut Vulture weigh? 1.3-1.7 kg ### How long does Palm-nut Vulture live? 15-30 years ### How fast can Palm-nut Vulture move? 60 km/h ### What does Palm-nut Vulture eat? Unlike most vultures, this unique bird primarily eats oil palm fruit, fish, and crabs! ### Where is Palm-nut Vulture usually found? Coastal areas ## 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: [Palm-nut Vulture: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/palm-nut-vulture)