Ruppell's griffon
Gyps rueppellii
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusGyps (Griffon Vultures)
- SpeciesGyps rueppellii (Ruppell's griffon)
Rüppell's vulture (Gyps rueppelli), also called Rüppell's griffon vulture or Rüppell's griffon, a species of vulture named after Eduard Rüppell, is a large, resident bird of prey, mainly native to the Sahel region and East Africa. It is considered to be the highest-flying bird, with confirmed evidence of a flight at an altitude of 11,300 m (37,000 ft), where the average temperature is about −56 °C (−69 °F). The former population of 22,000 individuals has been decreasing due to loss of habitat, incidental poisoning, and other factors. It is therefore listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Ruppell's griffon sighting in Queen Elizabeth National Park, based on 90 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Queen Elizabeth National Park
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
African Fish-Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
Palmnut Vulture
Gypohierax angolensis
Long-crested Eagle
Lophaetus occipitalis
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Brown Snake Eagle
Circaetus cinereus
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
African Harrier-Hawk
Polyboroides typus
Banded Snake-Eagle
Circaetus cinerascens
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
Circaetus pectoralis
Wahlberg's Eagle
Hieraaetus wahlbergi
📅 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 Ruppell's griffon in Queen Elizabeth National Park?
About 7% of wildlife watchers report a Ruppell's griffon sighting in Queen Elizabeth National Park, based on 90 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Ruppell's griffon in Queen Elizabeth National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Ruppell's griffon in Queen Elizabeth National Park in our monthly data.