Vultures

Vultures

  Vultures are two different groups of large birds of prey. The old world vultures and new world vultures both live the same way and look much alike. The old world vultures find carrion and animals killed by predators only by sight. The new world vultures use a highly developed sense of smell to find a rotting carcass even if it hidden by the forest canopy. Because of convergent evolution different birds evolved to fill the same role of scavenging and eating carrion. A distinguishing feature of most vultures is the head and sometimes the neck has little feathers or they have no feather at all. The reason for this is that it helps keep the head clean and free of disease when gorging on a putrid dead animal.

  The Vultures can safely digest a dead rotting disease carcass that would kill other animals. They have long wide wings that allow them to soar better than other land birds. Vultures can cover a lot of ground without flapping. Less flapping of the wings means using less energy and more efficient flying. They don’t have to kill prey like other birds. But vultures have been known to kill wounded and sick animals instead waiting for them to die.

  Vultures are not always the first in line when an animal is killed. When larger predators such as lions make a kill the vultures will fly in and more or less wait for them to leave. Then fight among themselves for the leftovers. Scavengers are disgusting evil looking creatures but they are of great value because they remove dead and disease animals from the environment.