Lappet-faced Vulture
Torgos tracheliotos
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusTorgos
- SpeciesTorgos tracheliotos (Lappet-faced Vulture)
The lappet-faced vulture or Nubian vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) is an Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only extant member of the genus Torgos. It is not closely related to the superficially similar New World vultures, and does not share the good sense of smell of some members of that family of birds. The lappet-faced vulture was formerly considered monotypical, but now is separated into two subspecies. The nominate race lives throughout Africa. The subspecies T. t. Wikipedia →
30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Lappet-faced Vulture sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 798 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Augur Buzzard
Buteo augur
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
Ruppell's griffon
Gyps rueppellii
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
Circaetus pectoralis
Long-crested Eagle
Lophaetus occipitalis
Martial Eagle
Polemaetus bellicosus
African Harrier-Hawk
Polyboroides typus
Hooded Vulture
Necrosyrtes monachus
📅 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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Lappet-faced Vulture in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
About 32% of wildlife watchers report a Lappet-faced Vulture sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 798 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Lappet-faced Vulture in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
April has the highest sighting rate for Lappet-faced Vulture in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.