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| Common Name: | Egyptian vulture | Family: | Accipitridae |
| Latin Name: | Neophron percnopterus | Diet: | Omnivore |
| Type: | Bird | Habitat: | Grasslands |
| Native To: | Africa | Social Unit: | Various |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Endangered |
Egyptian Vultures at Edinburgh Zoo
We currently have two Egyptian Vultures at Edinburgh Zoo, one male and one female. They arrived on 6 July 2011 from Sofia, Bulgaria.
Where can they be found at Edinburgh Zoo
You can find our Egyptian Vultures in their aviary opposite the Negros Island (Visayan) warty pigs.
Egyptian Vultures in the wild
Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) are widely distributed in southern Europe, northern Africa and southwestern Asia. They prefer dry plains and will nest in mainly dry rocky hill regions. This species is often seen soaring in thermals, often with other scavengers. They feed on a range of food including mammal faeces, insects in dung, carrion as well as vegetable matter and small live prey. These birds are ususally silent however near their nesting sites they make high-pitched mewing or hissing sounds.
The adult plumage is white with black feathers in their wings. They have a long slender yellow bill with a black tip. The neck feathers are long and form a hackle. Adults measure between 47 - 70cm (21 - 28inches) from the point of beak to the tip of their tail feathers. They also have approximately1.5 - 1.7m (5 - 5.6ft) wing span and typically weigh 2 kilograms (4.4lbs).
They typically nest between February and April, both parents incubate and hatch two eggs after approximately 42 days, the second egg usually hatches 3 - 5 days later. Young fledge the nest after 90 to 110 days.
The cause of decline is not currently known as adult birds have no predators, however it has previously been linked to poisoning by the accumulation of lead and pesticides, and also by electrocution due to powerlines.
IUCN status: Endangered
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