Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus

The Hooded Vulture is a large bird but small for a vulture. It is native to (mainly eastern) sub-Saharan Africa and common even around human habitation where it eats garbage. Like most vultures, it has a bald face for hygiene when feeding on carcases. However it doesn't generally have a bald head but has a dark brown or biege hood.

It has a long beak. The hood is dark brown on juveniles, the same as the body colour, but is usually biege/light brown on adults and some birds are bald headed (below centre).

Like many bald-faced birds (vultures and some large parrots) and like many humans, the facial skin blushes pink/red when they are excited/agitated (as blood vessels dilate).

They are a common sight flying overhead in much of eastern sub-Saharan Africa and are usually tolerated by villagers as doing a useful job (refuse clearance).

It uses its thin beak to pick at meat between bones once larger predators/vultures have finished with easier meat.

It is the only species in its genus.