Deep Dive: Greater Yellow-headed Vulture

Last week we spoke about the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture – this week we’re going to talk about the Greater Yellow-headed Vulture! Once thought to be the same species, this vulture was declared an individual species in 1964.¹

Just like the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, they’re considered to be of least concern. They also look very similar to the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, with black feathers and a yellow head that has some shades of red and blue.²

However, some differences in appearance you can catch between these two are:

Wing color – Greater Yellow-headed Vultures have wings that have both gray feathers and black feathers.²

Flying – These vultures hold their wings horizontally, while Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures hold them in a V-shaped position.¹

Greater Yellow-headed Vultures stand about 25-31 inches tall, have a wingspan of 65 to 70 inches, and weigh around 3 to 4 pounds.¹ They’re part of the Cathartidae family.² They feed on carrion and will eat animals like monkeys, sloths, and fish. They spend their time in lowlands and mature forests, and they’ll nest in tree cavities.¹

Did you catch our blog last week about Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures? Read it here.

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