This is the last post from our wonderful few days in the vulture hide in Giant’s Castle Reserve in the Drakensberg in November last year.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

We saw two types of vulture during our time in the hide, the Bearded and the Cape. In 2015, the Cape vulture had been classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, but was down-listed to Vulnerable in 2021 as some populations increased and have been stable since about 2016. A few factors are thought to contribute to its vulnerable status. It is facing habitat loss and disturbance of nesting sites which is problematic because it is a slow breeder. It also faces human threats like poisoning because it only feeds on carrion.

“May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.” ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

The Cape vulture has a low aspect ratio wing. This means its wingspan, relative to its width, is comparatively low, which is ideal for soaring. Their wingtips feature slotted or separated primary feathers which reduce wingtips vortices, lowering drag and stall speed which facilitate circling in thermals. The large wingspan allows them to glide long distances, catch thermals and ride updrafts. These vultures are known to fly at altitudes of up to 8000 metres and use their superior eyesight to look for food.

The Cape vulture’s plumage is cream-white to pale russet. It has a collar of fluffy white feathers on the back of its neck. It has a long bluish-grey neck which is mostly bare skin with a small tufts of white feathers on it. Its head and face are blue-grey and covered with short white, hair-like feathers.

The Cape vulture has pale yellow eyes and a dark black beak (which grows throughout its life). White-backed, as well as Cape Vultures, have a unique groove and serrated tongue which allows them to access soft flesh which may not be accessible with their beaks. The nostrils of a Cape vulture, like those of other vultures, are adapted for an acute sense of smell, crucial for locating food. They lack a septum (the dividing wall between nostrils), allowing air to pass straight through and enabling them to detect scents from a distance, even from high altitudes. Their sense of smell is not as acute as other vulture species especially when soaring at high altitudes, but it is still a valuable sense when scavenging for their meals.

According to Operationmigration.org, the Cape vulture is southern Africa’s only endemic vulture species. It does not migrate but can travel up to 100 kilometres looking for food. This species is one of the largest vultures in southern Africa with a wingspan of up to 2.6 metres and weighing up to 11kg. It is smaller than a Lappet-faced or Griffon but larger than a White-backed vulture. The female Cape vulture is typically larger than the male.

The Cape vulture is much easier to photograph than the Bearded vulture or the Jackal buzzard. The reason for this is that it is a slow flier, and flies in from above rather than using the updraft to fly in from below the feeding terrace like the Jackal buzzard and the Bearded vulture.

It is always a thrill when these raptors fly onto the feeding terrace. They are large and have “full flaps down” with extended wings to slow themselves when coming in to land. This action can produce dramatic images.

“One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.” ~ Frank Herbert

As with most raptors, the Cape vulture will land on the rocks at the far end of the feeding terrace. It will then look around to ensure that it is safe to walk into the middle of the feeding terrace. By standing on the rock at the far end of the terrace, the vultures have a quick get away as the rocks create a sharp ledge from which it launch themselves in the Bushman’s river valley below.

The Cape vulture nests on cliffs and lays only one egg each year, which must contribute to its vulnerability. This is unusual as all other vultures lay multiple eggs. This species is monogamous and so forms pair bonds for many seasons. Both parents take responsibility for incubating the egg for just under 60 days and feed the chick once it hatches. The chick usually fledges after four to five months but remains dependent on its parents for food for several months thereafter.

One of the features of the Giant’s Castle hide is that you can often see interactions between one or a few Cape vultures and the Black-backed jackals. The jackals visit the feeding terrace in front of the hide multiple times a day to steal the bones we put out for the vultures.

“Time spent outdoors reminds us that we’re part of something larger: a beautiful universe brimming with endless possibilities” ~ Unknown

The jackals are brazen when there is only one Cape vulture on the terrace and will usually intimidate the vulture by running toward it with its head down in a menacing manner. It is not so one-sided when there are a few vultures on the bones. The vultures have been known to nip the jackal’s face when it gets too close. That is where their long neck comes in handy!

I was surprised by the interaction between the Cape vulture and Yellow-billed kite. The vulture walked up to within about two metres of a large bone with plenty of flesh and fat on it and then just stood and looked around. In the meantime, the Yellow-billed kite flew straight onto the bone and began eating. For about five minutes the Cape vulture did nothing showing no aggression towards the kite.

Eventually the Cape vulture decided it wanted to eat and used its large size to push the kite away from the bone it was feeding on. The kite did not seem scared of the much larger vulture, perhaps because of its flying agility.

‘Coming in hot on finals’. This Cape vulture descended rapidly from a thermal which had carried it high above the Bushman’s river valley and the feeding terrace in front of the hide. I love seeing some of the covert feathers on top of its wings lift when landing, suggesting stall speed above sections of the wing.

“Going outside lets us appreciate life’s precious moments that pass too quickly indoors” ~ Anonymous

During a stall or high angle of attack manoeuvres, a raptor’s covert feathers, particularly the upper-wing coverts, can passively deploy, acting as aeroelastic flow control devices. This deployment helps mitigate flow separation, improve lift, and potentially delay or prevent stall, especially during landing or when encountering gusts.

On our last morning in the hide it was moody with intermittent sunlight between the rapidly moving clouds. On previous occasions we usually only saw one Cape vulture land on the feeding terrace at a time, and very occasionally two. On this particular morning we saw 12 Cape vultures progressively fly in and land in front of the hide.

The Black-backed jackal must have seen all the Cape vultures flying on the feeding terrace. The thief inevitably gate crashed the Cape vulture party. Surprisingly, this young Black-backed jackal ran in among the vultures and stole one of the larger bones.

According to Project vulture, there are about 2 900 breeding pairs in southern Africa, of which around 1 450 pairs reside in the Maloti-Drakensberg mountains- about 20% of the population.

Giant’s Castle is a spectacular reserve with vast vistas, big skies and an imposing sandstone and basalt buttresses as a backdrop. The vulture hide is positioned on the western side of a ridge on the east side of the large deep Bushman’s river valley. The views are incredible, and the moods constantly changing because of the weather.

“Adventure is the bridge between dreams and reality. When we walk across that bridge, we can explore the unknown and uncover hidden wonders. With every step, we move closer to our ambitions, passions, and goals. Adventure gives us the courage to take risks and make bold decisions – decisions that help shape our destiny.” ~ Unknown

We have always had superb avian sightings from the hide with fly-bys by Bearded and Cape vultures, Jackal buzzards, Lanner falcons, Rock kestrels and Yellow-billed kites. I am still waiting to see a Black eagle from the hide. We saw Bald ibises, White-necked ravens, Red winged starlings, Buff-streaked and Familiar chats, Yellow bishops and Cape canaries, Malachite and Greater double-collared sunbirds, Cape longclaws and so many more.

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart” ~ Confucius

You will also see Eland, Mountain reedbuck, Chacma baboons and Black-backed jackals. The White-necked ravens and Black-backed jackals will test your patience as they are consummate bone thieves.

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter=connectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike