Nature ReachA bird that feeds on animal remains
Watch the white-backed vulture soar
Gyps africanus
A vulture circling overhead is searching for food on the ground. Its meal comes from an animal that has already died.
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Above African savannas
White-backed vultures occur in African savannas, including East Africa. They search across the landscape for carcasses, which are the bodies of dead animals.
Finding food without hunting live prey
White-backed vultures soar high over the savanna to find carcasses. They feed on the remaining meat rather than hunting living prey.
Three things to notice
- A white-backed vulture is a scavenger: it feeds on animals that have already died.
- Vultures are mainly active during the day, when they can search while soaring.
- Several kinds of scavenger may gather at one carcass and compete for food.
Sharing a food source
Meat left at a lion's kill
A white-backed vulture can eat meat remaining from a lion's prey. If the lion is still feeding, the animals may compete over that food.
Competition with spotted hyenas
White-backed vultures and spotted hyenas may both feed at a carcass. Their relationship here is competition for meat.
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- Avian scavengers in the Serengeti, Ecology and Evolution
- African vulture ecology, Hancock and Kushlan
Reviewed by Nature Reach on 28/09/2026.