NESTING OF THE GREATER YELLOW-HEADED VULTURE (CATHARTES MELAMBROTUS) IN EASTERN PERU

Abstract

The Greater Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes melambrotus) is one of the least studied cathartids (Cathartiformes, Cathartidae). Its reproductive biology is little known, being the only species in the family whose nest has not been described. Here, I report the finding of a nest located in a cavity 55 m above the ground on a high cliff, at 1,230 m a.s.l. in the rainforest of central Peru. The nest was active during the late dry season (October 31, 2019) and hosted a well-developed chick (50-60 days old) being fed by parents. The nesting site's habitat was thinned forests for shade coffee, banana, and citrus crops and remnants of mature secondary forests.