Vulture

I

Introduction

Vulture, common name for two groups of carrion-eating birds. The Eurasian and African vultures probably descended from eagle-like birds. The American vultures are superficially similar to large birds of prey, but are probably more closely related to storks, with which they share some anatomical and behavioural features.

II

General Characteristics

Nearly all vultures are large birds with a naked head and hooked bill. They feed almost entirely on carrion, occasionally attacking newborn or wounded living animals. Most hunt by sight, soaring and watching for other vultures descending to feed. A few of the American vultures have a well-developed sense of smell. The American vultures also differ from the Eurasian group in that they have longitudinal, perforated nostrils without a partition and lack a voice, because of the absence of a syrinx (a bird’s vocal organ).

III

Eurasian and African Vultures

Thanks to natural history films, the seven species of African vultures are the most familiar, but four closely related species are confined to Asia, and others reach southern Europe.

Of the Asian vultures, many subcontinental Indian populations of the Oriental white-backed vulture, the long-billed vulture, and the slender-billed vulture have decreased by more than 95 per cent in the last ten years and all three species are now critically endangered. In January 2004 it was discovered that this is because the vultures are being poisoned by diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug increasingly used on cattle. Since then there have been widespread calls to withdraw the drug; besides the wish to conserve species, vultures have an important role because they scavenge and clean up livestock and even human corpses. There has also been a problematic increase of scavenging feral dog populations where vulture numbers have dwindled.

Within the mixed-species vulture flocks seen at lion kills in Africa, there is a definite hierarchy, with smaller species, such as the Egyptian vulture, having to wait until the more powerful species, such as Rüpell’s griffon, are finished. The Egyptian vulture ranges from 63 to 70 cm (25 to 28 in) in length and has whitish-brown plumage. It is found in southern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as Africa. It often feeds on ostrich eggs, and drops stones on the eggs to crack them open. The lammergeier, common in Africa but also found in southern Europe, reaches a length of 110 cm (43 in), and has a tuft of black feathers under its bill and feathers on the upper part of its legs. It is unusual in that it eats bones.

IV

American Vultures

One of the largest extant (surviving) flying birds is the Andean condor, with a wingspan of up to 3.2 m (10 y ft). The familiar turkey vulture is found from northern South America to southern Canada. It shares much of this range (north to Pennsylvania) with the American black vulture, whose naked head is black rather than red. The largest North American vulture is the California condor.

Scientific classification: The Eurasian and African vultures belong to the family Accipitridae of the order Falconiformes. The Asian vultures include the Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), the long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), and the slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris). The Egyptian vulture is classified as Neophron percnopterus, Rüpell’s griffon as Gyps rueppellii, and the lammergeier as Gypaetus barbatus. The American vultures make up the family Cathartidae of the order Ciconiiformes. The Andean condor is classified as Vultur gryphus, the turkey vulture as Cathartes aura, the American black vulture as Coragyps atratus, and the California condor as Gymnogyps californianus.