Hooded Vulture

The Hooded Vulture is a small, slender vulture widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, often closely associated with human settlements, markets, and slaughterhouses where it forages for scraps. Its plumage is largely plain dark brown, without the bold pattern seen in some other African vultures.

A thin covering of whitish-buff down on the head and nape gives the species its common name, contrasting subtly with its darker body feathers.

Because it is smaller and less bulky than most other African vultures, its feathers are correspondingly smaller and narrower.

Shape and Size

Flight feathers are relatively slender and the tail comparatively short, reflecting its smaller, more lightly built frame compared to larger African vultures.

Color and Pattern

• Body and covert feathers: uniform dark brown
• Flight feathers: dark brown to blackish
• Head and nape down: whitish-buff, fine and sparse rather than a dense ruff
• Shafts: dark

Distinguishing from Similar Species

The combination of small overall feather size and plain, unpatterned dark brown coloring (without white thigh patches, scalloping, or a whitish back patch) distinguishes it from the larger Lappet-faced, Ruppell's, and White-backed Vultures.

Adults are uniform dark brown with a whitish-buff downy head and nape; sexes look alike. Juveniles are similarly dark brown, often slightly darker overall, with less developed head down.

Molt is gradual and not strongly tied to a fixed season across its broad range.

Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa in savanna, farmland, and especially areas near towns, markets, and slaughterhouses where food scraps are available.

Most populations are resident, with limited seasonal movement; the species is classified as IUCN Critically Endangered due to poisoning and declining food availability.

Forages opportunistically on carrion, offal, and refuse, often around human settlements, and is typically subordinate to larger vulture species at carcasses, picking up scraps after bigger birds have fed.

Nests in trees, usually as solitary pairs. Vocalizations are generally weak, limited to hisses and occasional squeals.

A plain, uniformly dark brown feather of relatively modest size, found near African farmland or settlements, is consistent with this species.