Hooded Vultures are down to as few as 100-200 mature individuals in SA, which makes every single nest discovered a conservation milestone.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (12 September 2025) – This month, during a major aerial survey, the very first active Hooded Vulture nest was confirmed in KZN and with a large, healthy chick to show! It’s the first ever recorded in the province, and its the southernmost breeding site ever recorded for the species.
It’s great news because the role that vultures play in nature is critical and they’re under serious threat.
They’re the clean-up crew. They swoop in to strip carcasses before diseases like anthrax, rabies, or botulism can spread. That work benefits everything from wild ecosystems to livestock and even human communities.
“Vultures are the underappreciated custodians of ecosystem health. Without them, carcasses take longer to break down, diseases can spread more easily, and the natural balance of the environment begins to unravel. Without them, the consequences ripple far beyond the animal kingdom and into human health and the economy, especially in a landscape heavily dependent on the natural environment,” says Anel Olivier, Wildlife ACT Species Conservation Director.
When vulture populations collapse, the ripple effects are serious.
The Hooded Vulture, in particular, is one of Africa’s lesser-known scavengers. Smaller and shyer than its cousins, it weighs less than three kilograms, with a wingspan of about 1.6 metres. Its pink face and dark hood are well adapted to feeding on scraps left behind by bigger vultures.
But it’s also one of the most threatened.
In South Africa, there are thought to be only 50-100 breeding pairs left. Hooded Vultures are monogamous and mate for life, lay a single egg per season, and raise one chick at a time. Every nest is precious. Because so little is known about their breeding behaviour, the confirmation of an active nest in KZN is a massive step forward.
Surveys over the years turned up nests for other species, like White-backed and Lappet-faced Vultures but never Hooded.
Now, in the 2025 Zululand Vulture Project Aerial Survey, when teams from Wildlife ACT, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, and The Bateleurs took to the skies with pilot Martin Schulze, some good news finally came along.
The survey, done every five years, uses helicopters to scan breeding areas, backed up by fixed-wing surveys and ground monitoring.
“This discovery is a milestone for vulture conservation, especially in KwaZulu-Natal. It shows that even when populations are under immense pressure, with the right monitoring and protection, these species can still surprise us. Confirming a Hooded Vulture nest for the first time in the province gives us new insight into their range and behaviour, and strengthens the case for continued collaboration and investment in vulture conservation.” says the Zululand Vulture Project.
The discovery wasn’t just down to the survey alone.
It also came with a watchful eye from locals. Wildlife ACT’s Kayleigh Huysamen and her family first suspected vultures were nesting near their Zululand property. They reported it and helped monitor the site until the aerial team could confirm it.
“It felt like an incredible privilege to discover this nest so close to our home. The fact that these Hooded Vultures chose to breed here, near a member of the Wildlife ACT team, feels like good fortune for the birds as well. My family and I are committed to helping safeguard the site and supporting the monitoring work. Protecting this nest is about giving the species a real chance to recover,” says Kayleigh.
KwaZulu-Natal has been hit hard by vulture poisonings. Some deliberate, linked to the illegal wildlife trade or predator control, and others accidental, caused by things like lead fragments in carcasses. In some areas, entire tree-nesting colonies have been wiped out in just a few years.
That’s why this single nest matters so much.
It shows there’s still hope and resilience in a species pushed to the brink. It also points towards the importance of collaboration. Conservation authorities, NGOs, pilots, farmers, landowners, and everyday families all play a role in protecting nests and keeping vultures safe.
The data from this year’s survey will now feed back into South Africa’s national vulture conservation plan, gazetted in 2024. It sets out how the country will work to halt declines and rebuild populations.
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