Ruppell's Griffon Vulture - Gyps rueppellii
The bird in the front with its head raised is an adolescent Griffon vulture. It is less bulky than a Lappet and slightly larger than an African White-backed Vulture. The Griffon Vulture holds the altitude record of any bird with a highest prove cruising altitude of 11,000 m or 36,100 feet !! The record was proven when a bird was sucked into the engine of a commercial airliner flying over the Cote DÍvoire. The bird has specialist blood that allows it breathe at these high altitudes (facts courtesy of Guardian Mystery Bird Online).
These are the second at the dinner table on a carcass in Africa - a pack of Griffons is a decent match for a lone Hyena or two !
Tanzania, Serengetti, Mara River
July 2013
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