About Gyps africanus Salvadori, 1865
The white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus Salvadori, 1865) is a typical vulture species. Only down feathers cover its head and neck, it has very broad wings, short tail feathers, and a distinctive white neck ruff. Adult white-backed vultures have a whitish back that contrasts with their otherwise dark plumage, while juvenile vultures are mostly dark all over. This is a medium-sized vulture, with a body mass ranging from 4.2 to 7.2 kg (9.3–15.9 lb), a total body length of 78 to 98 cm (31 to 39 in), and a wingspan that measures 1.96 to 2.25 m (6 ft 5 in to 7 ft 5 in). In terms of distribution and habitat, the white-backed vulture is found across much of Africa: it ranges from Senegal, Gambia and Mali in West Africa, through the Sahel region to Ethiopia and Somalia in East Africa, then continues south through East Africa into Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. It is the most widespread and common vulture native to Africa, with an estimated total range of 24,300,000 km2 (9,400,000 sq mi), but its population has declined rapidly in recent years.
