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Cape Vulture
At St Augustine Alligator Farm, St. Augustine, USA
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconiformes (or Accipitriformes, q.v.)
Family:	Accipitridae
Genus:	Gyps
Species:	G. coprotheres
Binomial name
Gyps coprotheres (Forster, 1798)
Synonyms
Gyps kolbi

The Cape Griffon or Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres), also known as Kolbe's Vulture, is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is endemic to southern Africa, and is found mainly in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana and in some parts of northern Namibia. It nests on cliffs and usually lays one egg per year.

This vulture is dark brown except for the pale wing coverts. The adult is paler than the juvenile, and its underwing coverts can appear almost white at a distance. The average length is about 1-1.15 m (3.3-3.8 ft) with a wingspan of about 2.4-2.6 m (7.9-8.5 ft) and a body weight of 7-11 kg (15.5-24 lb). They are on average the largest raptor in Africa, although they are subservient to the powerful Lappet-faced Vulture. The two prominent bare skin patches at the base of the neck, also found in the White-backed Vulture, are thought to be temperature sensors and used for detecting the presence of thermals.

The species is listed by the IUCN as "Vulnerable", the major problems it faces being poisoning, disturbance at breeding colonies and powerline electrocution. The current population is estimated at 8,000.

References

1. IUCN redlist. sfn error: no target: CITEREFIUCN_redlist (help)

Sources

• Template:IUCN
• Sinclair, Ian; Hockey, Phil; Tarboton, Warwick (2002). SASOL Birds of Southern Africa. Capetown: Struik. ISBN 1-86872-721-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet.
• Cape Griffon

• IUCN Red List vulnerable species
• Gyps
• Birds of South Africa
• Old World vultures