First hooded vulture nest found

The discovery in KwaZulu-Natal offers hope for protecting these critically endangered birds

- Sheree Bega

The discovery of KwaZulu-Natal's first active hooded vulture nest is a conservation milestone.

Found during the 2025 Zululand Vulture Project aerial survey, the nest represents the southernmost confirmed breeding site for the critically endangered bird. The discovery expands the known breeding range of the species and provides data to guide future conservation strategies.

"We all feel quite inspired and we've got some new hope here," said Anel Olivier, the species conservation director at the nonprofit Wildlife ACT. “It’s nice to see our efforts actually accumulating into something.”

Wildlife ACT, in collaboration with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, volunteer pilot conservation NGO The Bateleurs and pilot Martin Schulze, recently conducted a helicopter vulture survey in key areas of Zululand. This forms part of a five-year monitoring cycle, complementing Ezemvelo's fixed-wing plane surveys and Wildlife ACT's annual nest monitoring.

Preliminary results showed a slight increase in lappet-faced vulture nests in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and growth in some African white-backed vulture colonies. No white-headed vulture nests were found, a pattern first confirmed in 2018 and "unfortunately consistently observed since".

But it is the discovery of a single active hooded vulture nest with a large chick that stood out. Considerable effort has gone into locating vulture nests in KwaZulu-Natal in the past, making this confirmation all the more significant.