This large vulture occurs in dry parts of Africa south of the Sahara. It has a dark body, white down on the belly and thighs, and a bare head with prominent folds of skin.
In the African subspecies T. t. tracheliotos, the sexes look alike. The body is dark brown to black; white down on the belly and thighs shows as streaks through the darker breast feathers. The bare head has prominent skin folds.
It prefers open woodland in semi-arid regions. Adults are mostly resident; young birds may travel long distances, but the source says it is unclear whether these movements are nomadic or dispersal.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.