Chester Zoo’s first hooded vulture pair arrive to boost critically endangered species

Two critically endangered hooded vultures have arrived at Chester Zoo, where conservationists are hoping the newly bonded pair will produce youngsters to help safeguard the species from extinction.

The vultures - named Claudia and Alan after Traitors stars Claudia Winkleman and Alan Carr - are the first breeding pair of hooded vultures to ever live at the Cheshire conservation zoo.

They have just passed their vet check with flying colours, and are now settled into their home, which they share with a duo of white-headed vultures.

The newly arrived pair already have a strong bond, and keepers hope their relationship will eventually lead to a new generation of young vultures as part of a Europe-wide conservation breeding programme.

Bird Keeper Heather-Anne Pedley said:

“Alan and Claudia came to us from the Horstmann Trust, a conservation breeding centre for vultures, where they are an established breeding pair. We named them after Traitors stars Alan Carr and Claudia Winkelmann, because what better way to reflect how funny and engaging they are than to name them after two national treasures?

“Nobody prepared me for how much I would fall in love with them, their antics and characters. They look like they’ve just put a hood up, and they have this beautiful blue ring around their eyes, like natural eyeliner.”

Ms Pedley added that hooded vulture couples are monogamous and will preen each other, gently touch each other’s bills and co-build nests.

She said:

“This pair are real love birds, and we are hopeful they’ll go on to breed. Any youngsters they go on to have will become part of a European conservation breeding programme, helping to create an insurance population for this incredibly rare species.”

“They’re fascinating birds, very active, clever and interested in their environment - and they don’t wait their turn at feeding time.”

Hooded vultures, which have wingspans of up to 180cm, traditionally had a wide range across west, central and southern Africa, where they soar over the land looking for carcasses to feed upon.

These birds, which have dark brown feathers on their body, a buff ‘hood’ and a distinctive bald face and throat, are known as ‘nature’s clean-up crew’.

Ms Pedley said:

“In the wild, vultures help prevent zoonotic diseases – illnesses that can spread between species – because their stomach acid is so strong they can eat decaying meat that other animals would not be able to digest. This helps prevent the spread of diseases like anthrax and botulism into the soil.”

Despite their crucial role across different ecosystems, vulture numbers are dropping and hooded vultures are now classified as critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.

This decline is driven by accidental and deliberate poisoning and unsustainable demand for vulture body parts and eggs for use in traditional medicine and rituals. There is no scientific evidence to support this use.

Power lines and other tall structures also pose a threat, as vultures tend to scan the ground for food rather than looking straight ahead, leading to mid-air collisions. They can also be electrocuted if they land on uninsulated power lines.

Claudia and Alan’s offspring will be part of a Europe-wide breeding programme designed to support an insurance population of hooded vultures, offering a lifeline for this environmentally crucial species.

Pictured - Claudia and Alan the vultures are making themselves at home in their Heart of Africa aviary.