ETYM Old Eng. vultur, Latin vultur: cf. Old Fren. voltour, French vautour.
Any of various large diurnal birds of prey having naked heads and weak claws and feeding chiefly on carrion.
Any of various carrion-eating birds of prey with naked heads and necks and with keen senses of sight and smell. Vultures are up to 1 m/3.3 ft long, with wingspans of up to 3.5 m/11.5 ft. The plumage is usually dark, and the head brightly colored.
True vultures are placed in the family Accipitridae along with hawks and eagles and are found only in the Old World. American vultures are placed in a family of their own (Cathartidae) and include turkey vultures and condors. The vulture's eyes are adapted to give an overall view with a magnifying area in the center, enabling it to locate possible food sources and see the exact site in detail.
The Cape griffon vulture Gyps coprotheres, Africa’s second largest vulture after the lappet faced vulture Torgos tracheliotos, had only 4,400 breeding pairs 1993. Its infant mortality is 84%, so it takes each adult bird about 20 years to replace itself. + prikaži više