Bird of the week: get to know the palmnut vulture

THE photograph is of a juvenile palmnut vulture which takes four years to attain adult plumage and is mostly white with black on scapulars, wings and tail.

These vultures are rare localised residents (RDB species) confined to the eastern littoral of Zululand. Vagrants, mostly juveniles, are often spotted in the Durban region. Stragglers recorded from other parts of South Africa.

They like forests, mangroves and marine shores, always in association with the raphia palm.

Sixty per cent of the adults diet is fruit, husks of the raphia palm, dates, grain, acacia seeds and also small birds, mammals, lizards, frogs and carrion. They walk about on shoreline to scavenge scraps and carrion.

These vultures are solitary or gregarious becoming highly sedentary when adult. They spend most of the day resting near palm trees.

Hunts live prey by stooping from flight and may catch fish near the water surface often becoming completely submerged.

They soar well taking off with quick wingbeats calling in flight with a cawing kok – kok – kok sound. Usually silent when perched or roosting.

Breeding season is May until September and the nest is a large stick platform lined with grass, sisal, fibre and dung six to 27 metre above ground, among palm fronds, in the fork of a baobab or top of euphorbia.

One rusty white egg is laid and incubation is about 44 days and nestling for at least 90 days.

The tribal name is Gungwa and in Afrikaans die witaasvoel.

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