The Egyptian Vulture of Jebel Hafeet

There are few birds in the UAE that feel as anchored to a single place as the Egyptian Vulture. Globally, it ranges from southwest Europe and west Africa across to central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, but its overall trend is going the wrong way, today it’s considered Endangered, with a declining population.

In Abu Dhabi Emirate, though, the story becomes far more specific. The Egyptian Vulture is essentially a Jebel Hafeet bird, so much so that the Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi notes it is only found on Jebel Hafeet within the Emirate and that this small population is monitored as an important conservation focus. And at a national level, Jebel Hafeet has repeatedly been highlighted as the UAE’s key stronghold for the species.

Typical view of a pair of Egyptian Vultures soaring high above Jebel Hafeet

If you’ve spent time on the mountain, you’ll know the feeling: the heat starts to lift off the rock, the air begins to move, and suddenly a pale shape appears over the ridgeline, white body, sharply contrasting black flight feathers, drifting like it owns the sky. That’s often how Jebel Hafeet sightings happen. One moment you’re scanning empty cliffs; the next, a vulture is sliding past at eye level, using the mountain’s thermals with effortless control.

Up close, it’s a bird full of character. Adults look almost “clean” for a scavenger, bright, pale plumage and a bare, yellow face that can seem oddly expressive when it turns to watch you. In flight, focus on the long, slightly pinched wings, the strong black-and-white contrast underneath, and the wedge-shaped tail. It’s not built like an eagle; it feels lighter, floatier, more like a kite that has mastered the art of soaring.

What makes Jebel Hafeet perfect for them is simple: structure. The cliffs offer safe ledges for roosting and nesting, and the updrafts provide an energy-efficient way to patrol huge areas with minimal effort. Like most vultures, they’re primarily carrion-feeders, but they’re also famously opportunistic, one of those species that’s constantly adapting. One of the classic behaviours is their habit of breaking tough eggs by tossing stones, tool use in the wild, and still one of the best “wait, it does what?” facts to tell someone seeing the bird for the first time.

Because this population is small and localised, the stakes are higher. For anyone visiting, the best thing we can do is keep it simple: enjoy the sighting, and keep a respectful distance from cliffs (especially in the breeding season).

If you lucky and stay long enough you might see one soar right past you at one of the viewpoints scattered along the roadside up the mountain.