Vultures are scavengers that usually feed on the bodies of dead animals. They are found in every continent except Antarctica, and are usually large birds with featherless heads (not always), hooked bills, and weak feet. Vultures in North and South America (New World Vultures) are not closely related to vultures in the rest of the world (Old World Vultures). New World Vultures find dead animals by smell, while Old World Vultures find dead animals by sight. Vultures are important scavengers, as they feed on rotting flesh filled with diseases such as cholera and botulism. Some vultures have digestive juices that are strong enough to digest bone!
Vultures are often seen soaring high in the sky, and hundreds may suddenly appear in the air near a newly dead animal. The vulture is a powerful flyer, and has the slowest wingbeat of any bird (1 wingbeat per second). One vulture was even recorded flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet, where it collided with an airplane.
Vultures are often seen soaring high in the sky, and hundreds may suddenly appear in the air near a newly dead animal. The vulture is a powerful flyer, and has the slowest wingbeat of any bird (1 wingbeat per second). One vulture was even recorded flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet, where it collided with an airplane.
