Greater Yellow-headed Vulture
Greater Yellow-headed VultureGreater Yellow-headed VultureGreater Yellow-headed VultureGreater Yellow-headed Vulture

Greater Yellow-headed Vulture

Cathartes melambrotus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Insufficient data
overall probability at Noel Kempff Mercado National Park
1 Verified records at Noel Kempff Mercado National Park
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Noel Kempff Mercado National Park

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
LC

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes burrovianus

40–50% · Likely
Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

40–50% · Likely
Black Vulture
LC

Black Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coragyps atratus

50–60% · Likely
Black-collared Hawk
LC

Black-collared Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Busarellus nigricollis

30–40% · Possible
Roadside Hawk
LC

Roadside Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rupornis magnirostris

30–40% · Possible
Zone-tailed Hawk
LC

Zone-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo albonotatus

Insufficient data
Snail Kite
LC

Snail Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rostrhamus sociabilis

20–30% · Possible
Great Black-Hawk
LC

Great Black-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus urubitinga

20–30% · Possible
Osprey
LC

Osprey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pandion haliaetus

10–20% · With luck
Savanna Hawk
LC

Savanna Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus meridionalis

Insufficient data
Gray-lined Hawk
LC

Gray-lined Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo nitidus

Insufficient data
Black Hawk-Eagle
LC

Black Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizaetus tyrannus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Greater Yellow-headed Vulture at Noel Kempff Mercado National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ 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 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
40–50%
2 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
40–50%
3 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
40–50%
4 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
20–30%
5 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
20–30%
6 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
20–30%
7 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
10–20%
8 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
10–20%
9 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
10–20%
10 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
5–10%
11 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
12 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
13 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
14 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
15 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
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