Uganda’s Last Rüppell’s Vulture Colony Fights for Survival

High above Uganda’s Luku Central Forest Reserve, 29 critically endangered Rüppell’s vultures soar on massive wings, carrying twigs and branches to their clifftop nests. This remarkable sight represents something precious and precarious: the only known breeding colony of these magnificent birds left in Uganda.

Ornithologist Ivan Oruka has been tracking these world-record holders – Rüppell’s vultures can fly higher than any other bird, reaching altitudes that would challenge commercial aircraft. But their soaring abilities haven’t protected them from a devastating population crash. Across Africa, their numbers have plummeted by more than 90% over the past four decades, transforming these once-common scavengers into one of the continent’s most endangered species.

The 10,000-acre Luku Central Forest Reserve in Uganda’s West Nile region now serves as their last refuge in the country. The vultures, distinguished by their dark feathers edged in silver that create a striking scaled pattern, have disappeared from Uganda’s national parks where they once thrived. Their clifftop colony, marked by telltale white streaks of droppings, represents a critical lifeline for the species’ survival.

However, this sanctuary faces mounting pressures that threaten its future. Located in a region experiencing rapid environmental changes, the reserve’s ability to protect these aerial giants remains uncertain. As conservationists work to understand and address the threats facing both the vultures and their habitat, time may be running out for Uganda’s last colony of the world’s highest-flying birds.