Cape Vulture, White-backed Vulture, Rüppel's Vulture (Gyps spp)

[nan]

lot of doubts for these 3 Vultures, in the Kgalagadi
please

1. was very light in plumage
18.1.2012

2. a bit blue in the neck
20.3.2013

3. light eyes
6.11.2014

nan, as for your vultures... The first one looks light in colour, but the streaked plumage at the front put me off a Cape vulture as I have never seen that before and I connect "streaked" with white-backed ones. But I'm not sure at all and would be happy to hear other opinions.
For the second and the third, I think they are both too dark to be Cape vultures. Even juveniles seem to have a only light brown plumage, but not as dark as it can
be seen in your pix.

1 and 2 are white-backed I think
No 3 we would need to see the eye, nan can you post a very large photo please
And as for the vulture confusion, do we have a 100% Cape vulture from KTP?

like that ??

Looks like a pale eye

The iris is dark

The pupil is very large and the iris shows like a pale ring ....I think

If that is the pupil that is dark, why would it be so dilated in bright sunlight?

The pale ring is skin and the iris is the dark thing

Look at this, there you see the rings of skin around the eye and a pale iris
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8517/8444 ... 0597_b.jpg
http://www.travelnewsnamibia.com/wp-con ... rofile.jpg

and here for a white-backed with dark iris
http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/5E/5E18339 ... ulture.jpg

Feedback from my friend (Gielie Bester) who confirms these are White-backed Vultures - reasons more white on wings , plus of course scarcity of Cape Vultures in Kgalagadi, which points to White-backed.

[ExFmem]

From our recent Kruger trip

White-backed Vulture

[Flutterby]

I think this is a Cape Vulture. It was a lot bigger than the other vultures around it and it seems to have the lighter eye. Anyone else agree?

IMG_7488.JPG (125.13 KiB) Viewed 314 times

IMG_7505.JPG (147.07 KiB) Viewed 314 times

[Lisbeth]

The pale eye shows clearly, so and it is also "blonder"

[Flutterby]

According to my Sasol guide: Under ideal viewing conditions, the two bare patches of blue skin at the base of the neck are diagnostic. Are those the patches?

IMG_7505a.JPG (147.52 KiB) Viewed 318 times

[Lisbeth]

According to my Sasol guide: Under ideal viewing conditions, the two bare patches of blue skin at the base of the neck are diagnostic. Are those the patches?IMG_7505a.JPG

yes, and the White-backed does not have them

[nan]

and this one
I think of the patchs on the shoulders (juv. has "normal" eyes)

ID no 2

Kgalagadi 2.12.2017 - Cubije Quap

nan, with those shoulder patches I would say Cape Vulture.

[ExFmem]

from Kruger




Cape Griffon Vulture - based on the wing pattern, (obviously ) ?

[Lisbeth]

Most likely a Cape Vulture; the white-backed does not have such white under-wings.......I think