Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Lesser Yellow-headed VultureLesser Yellow-headed VultureLesser Yellow-headed VultureLesser Yellow-headed Vulture

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

Cathartes burrovianus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
29 Verified records at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The lesser yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes burrovianus), also known as the savannah vulture, is a species of bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. It was considered to be the same species as the greater yellow-headed vulture until they were split in 1964. It is found in Mexico, Central America, and South America in seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, swamps, and heavily degraded former forest. It is a large bird, with a wingspan of 150–165 cm (59–65 in). The body plumage is black, and the head and neck, which are featherless, are pale orange with red or blue areas. It lacks a syrinx, so therefore its vocalizations are limited to grunts or low hisses. Wikipedia →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 29 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

50–60% · Likely
Black Vulture
LC

Black Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coragyps atratus

20–30% · Possible
King Vulture
LC

King Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sarcoramphus papa

10–20% · With luck
Roadside Hawk
LC

Roadside Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rupornis magnirostris

20–30% · Possible
Gray-lined Hawk
LC

Gray-lined Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo nitidus

10–20% · With luck
White Hawk
LC

White Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucopternis albicollis

5–10% · With luck
Gray-headed Kite
LC

Gray-headed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leptodon cayanensis

5–10% · Rare
Black Hawk-Eagle
LC

Black Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizaetus tyrannus

5–10% · Rare
Short-tailed Hawk
LC

Short-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo brachyurus

<5% · Rare
Double-toothed Kite
LC

Double-toothed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Harpagus bidentatus

<5% · Rare
American Swallow-tailed Kite
LC

American Swallow-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanoides forficatus

<5% · Rare
Plumbeous Kite
LC

Plumbeous Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ictinia plumbea

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

5–10
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
40–50%
2 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
40–50%
3 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
40–50%
4 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
40–50%
5 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
40–50%
6 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
30–40%
7 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
20–30%
8 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
20–30%
9 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
20–30%
10 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
11 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
10–20%
12 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
10–20%
13 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
14 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
5–10%
15 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
5–10%
16 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
17 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
18 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
19 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
20 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
21 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
22 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
23 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
24 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
25 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
26 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
27 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
28 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
29 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
30 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
31 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
32 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
33 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
34 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
35 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
36 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
37 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
38 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
39 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
40 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
41 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
Insufficient data
42 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
43 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
44 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
45 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
46 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
47 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
48 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
49 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
50 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?

About 3% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 29 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?

January has the highest sighting rate for Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in our monthly data.

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