A vulture that gathers with others and searches for carcasses in African savannas.
Its head is sparsely feathered, with pale yellowish or whitish down on the back of the neck.
In two reserves in north-eastern South Africa, White-backed Vultures nested both in trees and in open grassland.
Of the 31 nest sites recorded, 16 were in trees and 15 in open rangeland. Researchers measured 31 nest trees and 174 nearby trees without nests, 205 trees representing 19 species. In their model, larger trunk circumference measured about 30 centimetres above the ground was associated with a greater chance of a nest. Tree height, canopy width and visible health class did not explain nest presence in the same model. Diospyros mespiliformis made up 47.3% of the trees surveyed and was also the most commonly selected nest-tree species. Fieldwork took place in February and March 2024, before egg-laying.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Among the 205 trees surveyed, 18.1% were classified as unhealthy and 7.8% as very unhealthy; elephant debarking was the main damage. The authors recommend protecting Diospyros mespiliformis, the most commonly selected nest-tree species in the study, while managing elephant densities and controlling burns.