Population Status, Distribution, and Habitat Use Drivers of the Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus and the White Backed Vulture Gyps africanus in Northern Cameroon

Le résumé fourni par la source

Despite providing essential ecosystem services, African vulture populations are declining rapidly. To address the severe data deficit in Cameroon, this study assessed vulture richness, abundance, distribution, and habitat conditions in the North region. We conducted feeding, roost point, and road transect surveys across 48 non-linear transects during the dry seasons of 2021, 2023, and 2024, focusing on major slaughterhouses and the peripheries of Bénoué and Bouba Ndjida National Parks. Vultures were absent from most surveyed sites, resulting in a low Kilometric Abundance Index (KAI) that signals severe range contractions and imminent local extirpation. Of six historically recorded species, only two residents were confirmed: the White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus, n = 67) and the Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus, n = 51). A single Endangered Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) was recorded as a migrant, while Rüppell’s, Lappet-faced, and White-headed vultures were completely undetected. Abundance varies sharply by administrative division based on land-use patterns. The Mayo-Rey division held the highest overall abundance, while Mayo-Louti recorded the highest mean group size (6.6 individuals) and KAI (0.21 birds/km). Vulture distribution is dictated by a trifecta of habitat structure, resource availability, and human disturbance. Heterogeneous, woody landscapes and water availability significantly increase counts; a 1% increase in shrub cover correlates with an 11% increase in vulture numbers. White-backed vulture hotspots and nesting sites were heavily restricted to riparian corridors featuring shrub mosaics and mature African Fan Palms (Borassus aethiopum). Conversely, the presence of human huts reduced expected vulture abundance by roughly 73%. While proximity to river systems is a primary positive predictor, these areas double as high-risk poisoning hotspots. Long-term vulture conservation must prioritize protecting mature tree canopies, safeguarding riparian habitats, and mitigating human disturbance around key abattoirs and National Park peripheries.

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