Greater Yellow-headed Vulture
Cathartes melambrotus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyCathartidae (New World Vultures)
- GenusCathartes (Turkey and Yellow-headed Vultures)
- SpeciesCathartes melambrotus (Greater Yellow-headed Vulture)
The greater yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes melambrotus), also known as the forest vulture, is a species of bird in the New World vulture family Cathartidae. It was considered to be the same species as the lesser yellow-headed vulture until they were split in 1964. It is found in South America in tropical moist lowland forests. It is a fairly large bird, with a wingspan of 166–178 cm (65–70 in), a weight of 1.65 kilograms (3.6 lb) and a body length of 64–75 cm (25–30 in). The body plumage is black, and the head and neck, which are featherless, range in color from deep yellow to pale orange. It lacks a syrinx, and its vocalizations are therefore limited to grunts or low hisses. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Yellow-headed Vulture sighting in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, based on 2,014 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Cathartes burrovianus
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
King Vulture
Sarcoramphus papa
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
Plumbeous Kite
Ictinia plumbea
American Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Slate-colored Hawk
Leucopternis schistaceus
Double-toothed Kite
Harpagus bidentatus
Slender-billed Kite
Helicolestes hamatus
Snail Kite
Rostrhamus sociabilis
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 4 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 7 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 9 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | Canaima National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 11 | Cordillera Azul National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 12 | Podocarpus National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 13 | Noel Kempff Mercado National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 14 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 15 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Greater Yellow-headed Vulture in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve?
About 49% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Yellow-headed Vulture sighting in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, based on 2,014 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Greater Yellow-headed Vulture in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve?
August has the highest sighting rate for Greater Yellow-headed Vulture in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in our monthly data.