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Difference between revisions of "Palm-nut Vulture" - BirdForum Opus

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(Picture of juvenile. C/right. Imp sizes. Basic tidy-up. References updated)
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[[Image:Palm-nut_Vulturesg.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|Steve+G|Steve G}} <br />Baboon Island, Central River Division, [[The Gambia]]. ]]
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[[Image:Palm-nut_Vulturesg.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo &copy; by {{user|Steve+G|Steve G}} <br />Baboon Island, Central River Division, [[The Gambia]]. ]]
 
;[[:Category:Gypohierax|Gypohierax]] angolensis
 
;[[:Category:Gypohierax|Gypohierax]] angolensis
  
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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Adult is mainly white, black scapulars, secondaries and wing coverts.  Black tail, white terminal band.  Yellow iris, grey cere, face and feet orange-red.  Immaturees are brown, pale yellow rump.  It takes 3-4 years to acquire adult plumage.  Adults sometimes are stained buffy-brownish, but differ in having primaries with very short black tips, more extensive black in subadult and younger birds. <br />
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[[Image:STH 2639.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|volker+sthamer|volker sthamer}}<br />Selous GR [[Tanzania]], September 2019]]
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Males slightly smaller than females.
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57–65 cm (22½-25½ in); males slightly smaller than females.<br />
 +
Adult
 +
*Mainly white
 +
*Black [[Topography#General Anatomy|scapulars]], [[Topography#Wings|secondaries]] and wing [[Topography#General Anatomy|coverts]]
 +
*Black tail with white terminal band
 +
*YYellow iris
 +
*Grey [[Topography#Heads|cere]]
 +
*Orange-red face and feet<br />
 +
Immature
 +
*Brown
 +
*Pale yellow rump<br />
 +
It takes 3-4 years to acquire adult plumage.  Adults sometimes are stained buffy-brownish, but differ in having primaries with very short black tips, more extensive black in subadult and younger birds. <br />
 +
 
  
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
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[[Image:Palm-nut_Vulture.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|Steve+G|Steve G}} <br/>Mandina Bolong, Mandina lodges, Makasutu, [[The Gambia]]. ]]
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[[Image:Palm-nut_Vulture.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo &copy; by {{user|Steve+G|Steve G}} <br/>Mandina Bolong, Mandina lodges, Makasutu, [[The Gambia]]. ]]
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Sub-Saharan [[Africa]].
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Sub-Saharan [[Africa]]:<br />
 +
'''Western Africa''': found in [[Senegambia]], [[Senegal]], [[The Gambia]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Guinea]], [[Mali]], [[Sierra Leone]], [[Liberia]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Burkina Faso]], [[Ghana]], [[Togo]], [[Benin]], [[Nigeria]], [[Chad]], [[Cameroon]], [[Central African Republic]], [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Gabon]], [[Democratic Republic of Congo]], [[Angola]]<br />
 +
'''Eastern Africa''': [[Sudan]], [[South Sudan]], [[Kenya]], [[Uganda]], [[Burundi]], [[Tanzania]], [[Zambia]], [[Mozambique]], [[Malawi]]<br />
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'''Southern Africa''': [[South Africa]], [[KwaZulu-Natal]]<br />
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'''African Islands''': Gulf of Guinea Islands: [[Bioko]] (Fernando Po)
  
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
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Its diet includes mainly the fruit of Oil Palm ''Elaeis guineensis''; also dead fish, dates, crab, snails and molluscs.
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====Diet====
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+
Their diet consists mostly of the fruit of Oil Palm ''Elaeis guineensis''; also dead fish, dates, crab, snails and molluscs.
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They build nests high up in large trees, made of sticks.  The nest can be 1 metre wide and .5 metre deep.  I egg is laid, which is heavily marked with dark brown and chocolate, with lilac and pale brown undermarkings.  
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====Breeding====
 +
They build their stick nest high up in large trees.  The nest can be 1 metre wide and .5 metre deep.  The clutch contains a single egg, which is heavily marked with dark brown and chocolate, with lilac and pale brown undermarkings.  
 
Incubation takes about 44 days. The fledging period is long, frequently more than 90 days, giving a total breeding cycle time of about five months.  
 
Incubation takes about 44 days. The fledging period is long, frequently more than 90 days, giving a total breeding cycle time of about five months.  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug16}}#[http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1984177 Birdforum thread] discussing aging of this species
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug18}}#Avibase
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#[http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1984177 Birdforum thread] discussing aging of this species
 +
#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved December 2018)
 
{{ref}}
 
{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
 
{{GSearch|Gypohierax+angolensis}}  
 
{{GSearch|Gypohierax+angolensis}}  
 
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Gypohierax]]
 
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Gypohierax]]

Revision as of 23:22, 21 December 2018

Photo © by Steve G
Baboon Island, Central River Division, The Gambia.
Gypohierax angolensis

Identification

Juvenile
Photo © by volker sthamer
Selous GR Tanzania, September 2019

57–65 cm (22½-25½ in); males slightly smaller than females.
Adult

Immature

  • Brown
  • Pale yellow rump

It takes 3-4 years to acquire adult plumage. Adults sometimes are stained buffy-brownish, but differ in having primaries with very short black tips, more extensive black in subadult and younger birds.


Distribution

Photo © by Steve G
Mandina Bolong, Mandina lodges, Makasutu, The Gambia.

Sub-Saharan Africa:
Western Africa: found in Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands: Bioko (Fernando Po)

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[1].

Habitat

Tropical rainforest, mangrove swamps, heavily-wooded savanna areas and palm plantations.

Behaviour

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of the fruit of Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis; also dead fish, dates, crab, snails and molluscs.

Breeding

They build their stick nest high up in large trees. The nest can be 1 metre wide and .5 metre deep. The clutch contains a single egg, which is heavily marked with dark brown and chocolate, with lilac and pale brown undermarkings. Incubation takes about 44 days. The fledging period is long, frequently more than 90 days, giving a total breeding cycle time of about five months.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Birdforum thread discussing aging of this species
  4. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved December 2018)

Recommended Citation

External Links

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