Helicopter spots at-risk species in first-of-its-kind sighting in South Africa
Watching out the windows of a helicopter in South Africa, a team of conservationists scanned the treetops for signs of life. One bird nest caught their attention — and for good reason.
It turned out to be a first-of-its-kind sighting for the region.
Conservationists from several wildlife conservation groups recently conducted a helicopter survey of vultures across KwaZulu-Natal as part of routine monitoring efforts, Wildlife ACT said in a Sept. 11 news release shared with McClatchy News.
This year, the helicopter route included the property of Kayleigh Huysamen, a specialist with Wildlife ACT, who “suspected that vultures were nesting” on her family’s property, the organization said.
From the helicopter, conservationists spotted a vulture nest in a tree and, after closer examination, identified it as an “active hooded vulture nest with a large chick” inside — a first for the province.
Hooded vultures, or Necrosyrtes monachus, are a critically endangered species “with only an estimated 50–100 breeding pairs remaining in South Africa,” the organization said. The vultures are “smaller and shyer,” with a roughly 6 foot wingspan and weighing up to about 6 pounds.
Photos show the hooded vulture chick in KwaZulu-Natal. Only its brown head and white face poke out from the nest.
“It felt like an incredible privilege to discover this nest so close to our home,” Huysamen said in the release.
“This discovery is a milestone for vulture conservation, especially in KwaZulu-Natal,” the Zululand Vulture Project said in the release. “Confirming a hooded vulture nest for the first time in the province gives us new insight into their range and behaviour, and strengthens the case for continued collaboration and investment in vulture conservation.”
“Vultures are among the most threatened bird species in South Africa, and KwaZulu-Natal remains a critical region for their survival,” Brent Coverdale, a scientist with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, an organization involved in the helicopter survey, said in the release.
“Poisonings, whether deliberate or accidental, are the leading cause of vulture deaths in South Africa,” Wildlife ACT said. Another species of vulture, the white-headed vulture, already went locally extinct in KwaZulu-Natal.
“My family and I are committed to helping safeguard the site (of the hooded vulture nest) and supporting the monitoring work,” Huysamen said. “Protecting this nest is about giving the species a real chance to recover.”
KwaZulu-Natal is a coastal province of eastern South Africa bordering Eswatini, Lesotho and Mozambique.
This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Helicopter spots at-risk species in first-of-its-kind sighting in South Africa."
