Ruppell's griffon
Ruppell's griffonRuppell's griffonRuppell's griffonRuppell's griffon

Ruppell's griffon

Gyps rueppellii

20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Serengeti National Park
1,049 Verified records at Serengeti National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Ruppell's griffon sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 1,049 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Serengeti National Park

White-backed Vulture
CR

White-backed Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gyps africanus

40–50% · Likely
Tawny Eagle
VU

Tawny Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aquila rapax

50–60% · Likely
Lappet-faced Vulture
EN

Lappet-faced Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Torgos tracheliotos

40–50% · Likely
Bateleur
EN

Bateleur

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Terathopius ecaudatus

40–50% · Likely
Black-winged Kite
LC

Black-winged Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanus caeruleus

30–40% · Possible
Dark Chanting-Goshawk
LC

Dark Chanting-Goshawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melierax metabates

20–30% · Possible
Hooded Vulture
CR

Hooded Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Necrosyrtes monachus

20–30% · Possible
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
LC

Black-breasted Snake Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circaetus pectoralis

20–30% · With luck
Martial Eagle
EN

Martial Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Polemaetus bellicosus

10–20% · With luck
African Fish-Eagle
LC

African Fish-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haliaeetus vocifer

10–20% · With luck
Augur Buzzard
LC

Augur Buzzard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo augur

10–20% · With luck
Montagu's Harrier
LC

Montagu's Harrier

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circus pygargus

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

20–30
Jan
20–30
Feb
30–40
Mar
20–30
Apr
20–30
May
30–40
Jun
30–40
Jul
30–40
Aug
30–40
Sep
20–30
Oct
10–20
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ 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 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
30–40%
2 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
3 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
4 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
5 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
20–30%
6 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
7 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
8 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
10–20%
9 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
10 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
10–20%
11 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
12 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
13 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
14 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
15 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
16 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
17 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
18 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
19 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
20 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
21 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
22 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
23 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
24 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
25 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
26 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
Insufficient data
27 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
Insufficient data
28 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
29 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
30 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Ruppell's griffon in Serengeti National Park?

About 27% of wildlife watchers report a Ruppell's griffon sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 1,049 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Ruppell's griffon in Serengeti National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Ruppell's griffon in Serengeti National Park in our monthly data.

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