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Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos

IUCN Red List Criteria

Critically Endangered  
Endangered  
Vulnerable C2a(ii) 

IUCN Red List history

Year Category
2012 Vulnerable
2008 Vulnerable
2007 Vulnerable
2004 Vulnerable
2000 Vulnerable
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern

Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency Does not normally occur in forest
Land mass type continent
 Average mass -

Distribution

  Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) 8,080,000 medium
Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) 8,080,000 medium
Number of locations -
Fragmentation -

Population & trend

  Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
No. of mature individuals 5700 medium Estimated 1992
Population trend Decreasing poor -
Number of subpopulations 1 - - -
Largest subpopulation 8500 - - -
Generation length (yrs) 15 - - -
Population justification: The African population is at least 8,000 individuals, and there may be 500 in the Middle East. This gives a total population of at least 8,500 individuals, roughly equivalent to 5,700 mature individuals.
Trend justification: The total population is suspected to be in decline at a moderately rapid rate, based on anecdotal information on regional declines, and extirpation in some parts of its range.

Country/Territory distribution

Country/Territory Occurrence status Extinct Breeding Non-breeding Passage
Algeria Vagrant No   Yes  
Angola Native No   Yes  
Benin Native No   Yes  
Botswana Native No      
Burkina Faso Native No   Yes  
Burundi Vagrant No   Yes  
Cameroon Native No      
Côte d'Ivoire Native No   Yes  
Central African Republic Native No   Yes  
Chad Native No      
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Native No      
Djibouti Native No   Yes  
Egypt Native No      
Equatorial Guinea Native No   Yes  
Eritrea Native No   Yes  
Ethiopia Native No      
Gambia Native No   Yes  
Israel Native Yes      
Jordan Native Yes      
Kenya Native No      
Libya Vagrant No   Yes  
Malawi Native No      
Mali Native No      
Mauritania Native No      
Morocco Vagrant No   Yes  
Mozambique Native No      
Namibia Native No      
Niger Native No      
Nigeria Unknown No      
Oman Native No      
Palestinian Authority Territories Native Yes   Yes  
Rwanda Native No      
Saudi Arabia Native No      
Senegal Native No      
Somalia Native No      
South Africa Native No      
South Sudan Native No      
Sudan Native No Yes Yes  
Swaziland Native No      
Syria Native possibly      
Tanzania Native No      
Togo Vagrant No   Yes  
Uganda Native No   Yes  
United Arab Emirates Native No      
Western Sahara Unknown Yes      
Yemen Native No      
Zambia Native No      
Zimbabwe Native No      

Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria

Country/Territory IBA Name IBA link
Israel Judean desert site factsheet
Israel Northern Arava valley site factsheet
Jordan Dana - Feinan site factsheet
Jordan Wadi Araba site factsheet
Oman Jabal al Akhdar site factsheet
Palestinian Authority Territories Jerusalem wilderness site factsheet
Saudi Arabia At-Tubayq site factsheet
Saudi Arabia Mahazat as-Sayd site factsheet
Syria Jabal Sis and surroundings site factsheet
United Arab Emirates Jebel Hafit site factsheet
Yemen Desert west of Al-Ghayda site factsheet
Zambia Lusenga Plain National Park site factsheet
Zambia Mbulo Forest site factsheet
Zambia Mutinondo Wilderness site factsheet
Zambia Mutulanganga site factsheet
Zambia Simungoma site factsheet
Zambia Sumbu National Park and Tondwa Game Management Area site factsheet

Habitats & altitude

Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Desert Hot suitable resident
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Dry major resident
Savanna Dry major resident
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable resident
Altitude 0 - 3500 m Occasional altitudinal limits (max) 4500 m

Threats & impact

Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & Aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops / Small-holder farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & Aquaculture Livestock farming & ranching / Agro-industry grazing, ranching or farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Decline Medium Impact:
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Species mortality
Agriculture & Aquaculture Livestock farming & ranching / Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Decline Medium Impact:
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Species mortality
Transportation & service corridors Utility & service lines Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species mortality
Biological resource use Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources / Persecution/control Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species mortality
Biological resource use Gathering terrestrial plants / Unintentional effects (species is not the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Decline Medium Impact:
Stresses
Species mortality
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals / Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Human intrusions & disturbance Recreational activities Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species disturbance, Reduced reproductive success
Human intrusions & disturbance Work & other activities Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Decline Medium Impact:
Stresses
Species disturbance
Natural system modifications Other ecosystem modifications Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Pollution Agricultural & forestry effluents / Herbicides and pesticides Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Decline Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Utilisation

Purpose Primary form used Life stage used Source Scale Level Timing
Pets Whole Adults and juveniles Wild International Non-trivial Recent

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Torgos tracheliotos. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.

Key facts
Current IUCN Red List category Vulnerable
Family Accipitridae (Osprey, kites, hawks and eagles)
Species name author (Forster, 1791)
Population size 5700 mature individuals
Population trend Decreasing
Distribution size (breeding/resident) 8,080,000 km2
Country endemic? No
Links to further information
- Summary information on this species
- Climate change species distributions