Vultures mate for life and share parenting duties.
The vulture probably is best known for its habit of scavenging. It is one of the few birds of prey that feeds primarily on dead or weakened animals rather than hunting and capturing its food. However, the vulture also is a strong, large and long-lived bird. It's also adaptable, with several species developing skills to aid in hunting.
Species of Vulture
The 21 species of vulture fall into two categories: Old World, from Africa, Asia and Europe, and New World, from the Americas. According to Animal Planet, the two groups are not closely related, and are grouped together because they share similarities in appearance and in their role in the ecosystem. In North America, the most commonly sighted vulture is the turkey vulture. While the turkey vulture and the black vulture are seen frequently in the same areas, according to the U.S. National Park Service, the black vulture is more aggressive. When a carcass is spotted, the black vulture often drives the turkey vulture away.
Its Senses Are Sharp
Many vultures use sight to locate food sources and, while in the air, some species can spot an animal carcass from up to four miles away. Other vultures, such as the turkey vulture, use their keen sense of smell to locate food. According to Animal Planet, the turkey vulture's sense of smell is so acute that it can find roadkill and other carcasses before other vulture species.
It's Adaptable
Several vulture species have developed skills and characteristics that help make them more efficient hunters. The African white-backed vulture has no feathers on its neck, helping it stay clean even when it must burrow its head deep into a carcass when feeding. The small Egyptian vulture has difficulty competing with larger species for carcasses, and so has developed the skill of using stones to break open ostrich eggs. It is one of the few animals to use tools, according to EcoLocalizer. Some species eat rapidly. In just four to five minutes, the griffon can fill its crop with about 3 pounds of meat, which will last it at least four days, according to the Phoenix Zoo.
It's Social
Despite sometimes intense competition for food, it's common to see several species of vulture feeding on one carcass. They're often seen in a group called a venue, and when circling a carcass the group is called a kettle. Most vulture species mate for life, which could as long as 40 or 50 years. Males and females share parenting duties, including incubating, brooding and feeding.
Related posts
Freshwater plants provide nutrition to other aquatic life.A variety of freshwater plants is found all across the world. Freshwater habitats include ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, bogs, swamps and...
Chickadees live in cold climates during the winter.More than 800 species of wild birds exist in the United States and Canada, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Some birds live in groups...
Facts About Seals for KidsSeals live at both ends of the Earth and travel in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Fur seals, crabeaters, leopard seals, Ross seals, Weddell seals and southern elephant...
The hummingbird is a muscular flying machine with 30 percent of its total body weight coming from the muscles it uses to fly. The hummingbird is tiny--most are two to three inches long--and moves...
Facts About Giant Tube WormsA giant tube worm is not the type of worm you're likely to see every day. These worms are much more mysterious than other types of worms and exist deep in the ocean.Siz...
