Stellenbosch Birds
HOME About Links Books Bird galleries List of Bird Photos Jill Adams' Birds (Watercolours) Some of Jill's birds from The Birds around us Andre Olwage's Birds (Watercolours) Nico's Birds of Prey Nico's Owls Small birds Rosie' Turacos Waderbash Klaus Kassel at WCNP Peet's Birds Okavango Bird Potpourri Awie's Birds Beautiful Kalahari Fritz Weaver Basie van Zyl's birds Basie's Birds of Prey Ingo's Birds Louis Groenewald's birds Pieter's Raptors Awie's Water games Awie's Kalahari Birds Roland Hill's Birds John Murray's Birds Hennie Cilliers' Birds Pieter La Grange's Birds Kirsten Frost's Birds Adam Riley's Birds Chris Krog's Birds Michael McSweeney Mark Drysdale's Birds Birds Potpourrie 2012 Birds Potpourrie 2016 Birds Potpourrie 2017 Johan van Noordwyk Brian Culver's Birds Tinus Lamprecht's Birds Billy Steenkamp's Birds Anja Denker's Birds Trevor Hardaker's Birds John Tinkler's Birds Bob Hobbes's Birds Hennie Storm's Birds Coen Homan's Birds Brian Radford's Birds Jody de Bruyn's Birds Peek, Boo and Hoo Derek Keats's Birds Tim Cockcroft's Birds Ed Raubenheimer's Birds Stewart Mathesons' Birds Clint Ralph's Birds Johann Van Den Berg	17 photos, please scroll down © Jill Adams Cape Vulture Cape Griffon  Gyps coprotheres  Kransaasvoël  Kapgeier Cape Vulture Giant's Castle Giant's Castle Hide © Brian Radford Cape Vulture landing © Brian Radford Cape Vulture © Ed Raubenheimer Cape Vulture © Hennie Cilliers Another of the vultures that was recently uplisted to Near Threatened Giant's Castle December 2015 © Trevor Hardaker © Johan van Noordwyk © Mark Drysdale Cape Griffon Cape Vulture © Hennie Storm Jackal, White-necked Raven and Cape Vulture competing for a bone Cape Vulture also called Cape Griffon © Hennie Storm © Billy Steenkamp Palm-nut Vulture   White-backed Vulture   Lappet-faced Vulture   Hooded Vulture The Cape vulture is one of the nine different vultures recorded in Southern Africa. Its conservation status is classified as "Vulnerable". As the big herds of wild animals have diminished, there is less food available for vultures. Man-made threats put even more pressure on their survival chances. As better farm husbandry practices develop there are less livestock mortalities. Conversely, over-grazing causes bush encroachment, which hinders the vultures' visual ability to find carcasses. Vultures often get electrocuted by, or collide with, powerlines and even poisoned indirectly by people targeting stock killers. There is a cultural belief that vultures locate their food with a clairvoyant ability. As a result, vultures are killed and their body parts (especially brains) used for traditional medicine purposes to transfer this 'foresight' to the consumer. Another myth is that these big birds are a threat to livestock. Unlike the big eagles, vultures have weak feet, designed for gripping not killing. They are extremely wary when approaching a carcass, often perching to assess whether the coast is clear. They would be even less likely to try and immobilize live prey. Cape vultures are awesome birds, in the truest sense of the word, worthy of our respect and protection. We, as South Africans, hold the key to their survival. There are about 8000 left. Mark Drysdale
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