FaunaHub
ENEndangeredPartial review

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus

Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), a small white vulture with a yellow face.

Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).

Image: Artemy Voikhansky, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category
EN · Endangered
Animal group
Birds
Population trend
Decreasing
Last verified

Conservation overview

The Egyptian vulture is a small, white scavenging vulture known for using stones as tools to crack eggs. It is assessed as Endangered.

It is one of the few birds that uses tools in the wild.

Range & habitat

Southern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

  • Poisoning
  • Veterinary drugs in carcasses
  • Electrocution and habitat change

Why it matters

As scavengers, vultures clean up carcasses and limit disease, so the Egyptian vulture's decline — part of a wider vulture crisis — has real consequences for ecosystems and people.

Gallery

An Egyptian vulture standing on the ground.

Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).

Image: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Egyptian Vulture

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Egyptian vulture really use tools?
Yes. It is well known for picking up stones and throwing them at large eggs, such as ostrich eggs, to crack them open — a rare example of tool use in birds.
Why is the Egyptian vulture Endangered?
Published assessments cite poisoning, harmful veterinary drugs in livestock carcasses, electrocution on power infrastructure, and habitat change. See the IUCN Red List.

Last updated: