Bird Guide

Cape Vulture vs White-backed Vulture

Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres)

Cape Vulture

Gyps coprotheres

Huge8.2 kgGrassland

This large vulture is of a creamy-buff colour, with contrasting dark flight and tail feathers. The adult is paler than the juvenile, and its underwing coverts can appear almost white at a distance. The head and neck are near-naked. The eyes are yellowish, and the bill is black. Juveniles and immatures are generally darker and more streaked, with brown to orange eyes and red necks. It closely resembles the white-backed vulture, however it is larger and has yellow irises. The average length of adult vultures is about 96–115 cm (38–45 in) with a wingspan of 2.26–2.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Gyps_coprotheres_-St_Augustine_Alligator_Farm,_St._Augustine,_Florida-8a.jpg: Gregory Moine derivative work: Snowmanradio (talk) · CC BY 2.0
White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus)

White-backed Vulture

Gyps africanus

Huge5.4 kgShrubland

The white-backed vulture is a typical vulture, with only down feathers on the head and neck, very broad wings and short tail feathers. It has a white neck ruff. The adult's whitish back contrasts with the otherwise dark plumage. Juveniles are largely dark. This is a medium-sized vulture; its body mass is 4.2 to 7.2 kg (9.3–15.9 lb), it is 78 to 98 cm (31 to 39 in) long and has a 1.96 to 2.25 m (6 ft 5 in to 7 ft 5 in) wingspan.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Cape Vulture and White-backed Vulture.