The Red List

Six of Africa's 11 Vulture species - the continent's largest and most recognizable birds of prey - are now at a higher risk of extinction, according to the latest assessment of birds carried out by BirdLife International for the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. The main causes of the drop in African Vulture populations are thought to be indiscriminate poisonings, where the birds are drawn to poisoned baits, use of Vulture body parts in traditional medicine, and deliberate targeting by poachers, as the presence of Vultures can alert authorities to illegally killed big game carcasses. Robbing the African skies of one of their most iconic and spectacular groups of birds, the rapid decline of the continent's Vultures has profound consequences for its people - as Vultures help stop the spread of diseases by cleaning up rotting carcasses.