Spatial Distribution of the Critically Endangered Hooded Vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Southern Ghana Available to Purchase

Vultures are highly effective scavengers but face numerous threats that increase their extinction risk. Globally, vulture populations are declining due to various anthropogenic factors that impact their abundance and distribution. Despite large declines, most populations of vultures remain unassessed, especially in Africa. We assessed the abundance and spatial distribution of the critically endangered Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) across urban and rural areas of the Cape Coast metropolis in southern Ghana. We conducted Hooded Vulture counts at verified permanent roosts and feeding sites simultaneously during the wet and dry seasons. We found an average of 50 ± 10 (SD) and 50 ± 13 vultures in the dry and wet seasons, respectively, at the selected study areas. Vulture counts did not vary with season, but did differ by age. Adults outnumbered immature birds in the study area by a ratio of 3:1, suggesting possible population viability issues in the future. We investigated spatial distribution using past and present vulture occurrences from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility dataset and observations from this study. Using maximum entropy modeling, we investigated the influence of eight environmental variables on spatial distribution. Distance to food sources and roads—key proxies and indicators of human activity—were the most important factors influencing vulture distribution. We also found five permanent roosts and eight feeding sites in the study area. This study provided valuable baseline data for future conservation and monitoring. We recommend additional research and focused conservation initiatives, particularly targeting stakeholders around sites of the local vulture populations.