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 →
Closest Relatives at Selous Game Reserve
African Fish-Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
African Harrier-Hawk
Polyboroides typus
Palmnut Vulture
Gypohierax angolensis
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
Circaetus pectoralis
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Gabar Goshawk
Micronisus gabar
Wahlberg's Eagle
Hieraaetus wahlbergi
European Honey-buzzard
Pernis apivorus
African Hawk-Eagle
Aquila spilogaster
Martial Eagle
Polemaetus bellicosus
Augur Buzzard
Buteo augur
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Lappet-faced Vulture at Selous Game Reserve — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ 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