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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
Old
World vultures |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Falconiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Accipitridae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
No
data |
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| SIZE: |
60-140
cm (24-55 in.) |
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| INCUBATION: |
Approximately
50 days |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
18
years or more, large species up to 50 years |
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| HABITAT: |
Savannas,
plains, cultivated areas |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Varies
by species |
| CITES |
Varies
by species |
| USFWS |
Varies
by species |
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| 1. |
Strange
Ways
Many species of Old World
vultures live throughout Africa and have a great
impact on their surroundings. They vary from small
birds with slender bills, such as hooded vultures,
to large hunters with heavy bills, such as African
white-backed vultures. These important adaptations
help vultures survive and perform important roles
in the environment. |
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| 2. |
Dinner
is Served
Vultures feed on the carcasses
of dead animals, sticking their heads deep into
the body cavity to pick bits of food. Some species
also hunt small prey, such as insects, lizards,
smaller birds and rodents. Pieces of decaying
meat and skin are less apt to stick to bare heads
than to a thick mat of feathers. When vultures
bask after meals, the heat of the sun dries any
potentially bacteria-ridden bits of food that
easily fall off, helping them remain healthy.
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| Vultures have keen eyesight. It is believed they are able to spot a three-foot carcass from four miles away on the open plains. In some species, when an individual sees a carcass it begins to circle above it. This draws the attention of other vultures who then join in. Once the vultures have landed, they fight and bicker over feeding spots. For the most park, many vulture species are relatively silent, but not when it comes to a prime place at the dinner table! Once on the carcass, vultures plant their talons for stability and pull at the flesh with their beaks. Many species of vultures feed together with little competition, because they do not feed on the same kind of meat within the carcass. There are even vultures that feed on the bones! Since the entire carcass can be eaten, nothing is wasted. Vultures are such efficient feeders that the body of a small animal can be skeletonized in less than half an hour. |
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| 3. |
Family
Tree
Vultures usually have one mate a year. Nests
are constructed using sticks and leaves, and are
built in trees and cliffs. The same nest may be
used for several years. Most species produce one
chick; the male and female share parental responsibilities.
They take turns sitting on the nest while the mate
finds food that, upon return, is regurgitated
for the hatching. |
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| 4. |
Suffering
Survivors
Vultures play a prominent role in African
folklore. Their ability to show up wherever there
is a carcass leads many to believe they dream
the location of food or use telepathy.
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| They have long been misunderstood and persecuted by humans, suffering from loss of habitat and from poisons that can accumulate through time in their prey. New World vultures in America, such as California condors, have also been devastated by pesticides and habitat loss. Thankfully, captive breeding programs helped restore these magnificent birds. Vultures serve an important function as nature's garbage collectors, helping to keep ecosystems clean of waste. Habitats must be preserved and pollutants eliminated so these important predators are not lost. |
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| 5. |
For
more information about raptors, explore the RAPTORS INFOBOOK. |
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| Brown,
L. and D. Amadon. Eagles, Hawks, and Falcons
of the World, Vol. 1. Wellfleet Press, NJ, 1989. |
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| Dewitt,
L. Eagles, Hawks, and other Birds of Prey.
Franklin Watts, NY, 1989. |
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|
Perrins,
C.M. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds.
Prentice-Hall, NY, 1990.
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| Perrins,
C.M. and A.L.A. Middleton, eds. The Encyclopedia
of Birds. Facts on File, Inc., NY, 1985. |
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| CARCASSES: |
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the dead bodies of animals; frameworks, skeletons,
or shells
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| ECOSYSTEMS: |
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systems of ecological relationships in local environments,
including relationships between organisms and between
organisms and the physical environment |
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| OLD
WORLD: |
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the earth's eastern hemisphere, which includes
the continents of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia
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| PESTICIDES: |
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chemical agents used to destroy an animal or plant
harmful to people |
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| REGURGITATED: |
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to have coughed up incompletely digested food |
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| TALONS: |
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claws of an animal, especially a bird of prey |
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