Vultures: Sentinels of the Skies

With their heads buried in a carcass, vultures may seem like gross, unwanted creatures. But we have to disagree! Vultures have fascinating adaptations that make them essential parts of a healthy ecosystem. John Kinghorn joins us from South Africa to share his unabashed love for vultures, help us understand why their populations are plummeting, and what we can do to help.   

Learn more about the many projects BirdLife South Africa is leading and collaborating on to help vultures. And celebrate International Vulture Awareness Day on September 7th by sharing this podcast!

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John Kinghorn undertook a southern African Birding Big Year at age 19, and became the sixth person to record more than 800 bird species in the region in one calendar year, also setting a record for the youngest person achieve this milestone. His deep-rooted passion for conservation shines through in everything that he does. With a career spanning 11 years as a professional specialist bird guide, John acquired an LLB [law] degree and completed his articles of clerkship as a Candidate Attorney. John is currently spearheading BirdLife South Africa’s world renown Community Bird Guide Programme, empowering communities, and continuing to enhance South Africa’s status as leaders in avitourism through key stakeholder engagement.

Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada. 

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