Greater Yellow-headed Vulture

Cathartes melambrotus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderAccipitriformes
FamilyCathartidae (New World Vultures)
GenusCathartes (Turkey and Yellow-headed Vultures)
SpeciesCathartes melambrotus (Greater Yellow-headed Vulture)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas

4 Verified records at Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas

☀️ 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 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas

Cathartes burrovianus

Cathartes aura

Coragyps atratus

Sarcoramphus papa

Rupornis magnirostris

50–60% · Likely

Buteogallus urubitinga

40–50% · Likely

Busarellus nigricollis

40–50% · Likely

Buteogallus meridionalis

30–40% · Possible

Pandion haliaetus

10–20% · With luck

Geranospiza caerulescens

10–20% · With luck

Rostrhamus sociabilis

10–20% · With luck

Buteo albicaudatus

5–10% · With luck

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Greater Yellow-headed Vulture at Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

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

☀️Diurnal

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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Greater Yellow-headed Vulture

Closest Relatives at Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas

Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Black Vulture

King Vulture

Roadside Hawk

Great Black-Hawk

Black-collared Hawk

Savanna Hawk

Osprey

Crane Hawk

Snail Kite

White-tailed Hawk

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found