Observations of large raptors in northeast Sudan

During a targeted shorebird survey of wetlands along Sudan's Red Sea Coast in January 2010 we took the opportunity to gather limited baseline information on large raptors within an understudied region. One 430 km transect was completed while driving from Atbara to Port Sudan on 19 January. Thirty Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus were recorded at a mean of 7 birds per 100 km over 6.15 hours, and eight unidentified large vultures were seen. From subsequent ad hoc records gathered during 20 additional vehicle hours covering 450 km of coastline, we identified populations of Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos and Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus and migrant Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis.