Fact Sheet Vultures

The Falconry Centre, Hagley
Kidderminster Road South, Hagley

West Midlands, DY9 0JB.
Telephone: 01562 700014
Website: www.thefalconrycentre.co.uk
Email: info@thefalconrycentre.co.uk
www.facebook.com/thefalconrycentre
Registered Charity No: 1191207 Company Number: 12682959
FACTS ABOUT VULTURES
It’s time to learn about vultures! Use this fun fact sheet to find out about these super
scavengers. Look out for words in bold text and see what they mean using the ‘glossary’
section. Finally, put your new knowledge to the test by answering the quiz questions at the
end.
Introduction
There are 23 different species of Vulture, spread around the

world. The smallest is the Egyptian Vulture, which weighs around
2kg, while the largest is the Andean Condor, which can weigh up
to 15kg, making it one of the largest flying birds in the world.
Vultures are generally scavengers, which means that instead of

hunting for food, they eat what they can find, which usually
involves carrion (animals that are already dead). However, a few
vultures are also predators, meaning that they catch and eat
other animals, known as ‘prey’.
Vultures are often misunderstood. People seem to think of them

as being somehow dirty or disgusting because they eat rotting
carcasses. However, by doing this, they are clearing away the
decaying meat, which helps to prevent the spread of diseases; the vultures are immune to
most bacteria that would kill humans and other animals. You should think of vultures as a
nature’s clean-up crew doing a very important job!
Types of Vulture
There are two groups of Vultures: “New World” and “Old World”. New World refers to the
Americas, while the Old World is Asia, Europe and Africa. Both of these groups live a
scavenging lifestyle.
Old World and New World Vultures are not related; they evolved
separately to do the same job in the environment – eat the carcasses
of dead animals. Two unrelated groups evolving the same
characteristics for a similar lifestyle is known as Convergent Evolution.
Both groups of vultures have evolved to have no or few feathers

around the head and neck area. People sometimes think that this
makes them ugly, but this is a very useful adaptation so that the
feathers do not get covered in blood when feeding inside a carcass.
Vultures like to keep themselves clean and will often take a bath after
they have finished feeding!
New World Vultures
These are the American species of Vultures.

There are 5 species of vulture and 2 Condors
within this group. Recent studies have shown that
these vultures are more closely related to storks,
cranes and other water birds, not birds of prey.
This is the convergent evolution referred to
above. Some of these species of vulture have a
very good sense of smell, especially the Turkey
Vulture, shown in this picture. Look closely at his
beak and you will be able to see a big hole in the
pink fleshy bit – this is his nostril and it goes through the top of his beak. These big holes might
explain why he has such a great sense of smell. This species is known to find rotting meat even
in heavily wooded areas.
The King Vulture has also been shown to have a good sense of smell and the sense is limited in
the other 3 species of New World Vulture (Black Vulture, Lesser Yellow-headed and Greater
Yellow-headed Vultures). These 3 other species are usually found in more open areas while
the King and Turkey Vultures are usually found in forests.
Old Word Vultures
There are 15 species of Old World Vultures found in Africa, Europe and Asia. The largest
species of these Vultures is the European Black (or Cinereous Vulture) followed closely by the
Lammergeier (or Bearded Vulture), a vulture which is especially adapted to eat bones!
Other species of birds of prey have powerful feet to catch and hold their prey, whereas the
vultures have evolved to have extremely powerful beaks, so over time they have lost the
extreme grip in their feet.
There are two species of smaller vulture in the

Old World: Egyptian Vulture and Hooded
Vulture. These birds tend to hang back at
carcasses and pick up very small scraps dropped
by the larger vultures. The Egyptian Vulture
specialises in eating eggs, and for larger eggs
they have learnt to use a rock to crack it, and
then they can eat the contents.
One species of vulture that is omnivorous is the Palm-Nut Vulture this species feeds on ripe
palm nuts as well as carrion.
A Future for Vultures
You might think that a vulture has no predators or enemies. Sadly, it does – and its greatest
enemy is human beings. Nearly half of all vulture species are vulnerable or endangered, some
critically so, meaning that they are threatened with extinction.
The vulture faces many problems from humans. In some parts of the world, vultures are
deliberately killed and used to make traditional medicines. In Africa, for example, many
vultures every year are either shot or poisoned by poachers – in one incident, poachers killed
10 elephants for their ivory tusks and then poisoned the
carcasses, which killed over 500 vultures. The poachers
do this because the vultures flying around above the
carcasses will give away their location to rangers who
work to stop the poachers.
In India, many vultures die every year after eating dead

cows that have been treated with a special veterinary
drug called diclofenac (an anti-inflammatory drug). While
this drug is used to help the cows, it is deadly to vultures. As a result of a rapid drop in the
number of vultures, India has seen a massive increase in the spread of a disease called rabies –
as there are fewer vultures to eat the carcasses, they are instead being eaten by wild dogs.
Because there is therefore more food for the wild dogs, these dogs are increasing in number.
With more wild dogs around, they are spreading rabies; a disease that would naturally have
been controlled by the vultures. Vultures are immune to rabies and can digest the meat it is
carried in, killing off the bacteria in the process. This shows just how important vultures really
are to people.
Fortunately, there is still hope for the vultures. Many people care about them and are
committed to their survival. Conservation groups are fighting around the world to protect the
areas where vultures live, and to pass laws to control pollution and stop the shooting and
trapping of these super scavengers. Captive breeding programmes in zoos and falconry centres
are also helping to ensure a future for vultures, like this critically endangered Rüppell’s Griffon
Vulture hatched at our Falconry Centre in February 2020. Breeding birds in captivity is an
important way of making sure that vulture species will survive into the future.
GLOSSARY
An ‘adaptation’ is a feature or process that an animal has to help it survive

better in its environment. The process of adaptation takes place over many
Adaptation generations, which is also known as ‘evolution’. When we talk about
adaptation, we mean a ‘feature’ which helps the animal to survive.
This means animals that are already dead – scavengers will often feed on
Carrion carrion. After all, if they find something that is already dead this saves them
the effort of having to hunt and kill something else!
This might sound like a complicated scientific term, but “convergent” simply
Convergent means ‘moving together’ or ‘towards one another’. Convergent evolution
Evolution means two unrelated species which have evolved or adapted over time to do
the same thing or act in a similar way or develop similar characteristics.
An omnivore is an animal that eats both meat and plant matter, such as nuts,
Omnivorous fruits, grass, leaves and seeds. Carnivores exclusively eat meat, while
herbivores only eat plants. Omnivores eat both.
The word ‘raptor’ means ‘bird of prey’. Not all meat-eating birds are raptors;
Raptors to be classed as a raptor, a bird must use its feet to catch its prey, just as an
eagle does. Other meat-eating birds, like herons or kingfishers, which eat fish,
will use their beaks to catch their food – so they are not raptors.
A bird or animal may hunt and scavenge or just scavenge – this means to just
Scavenger eat whatever they can find, rather than going to the effort of catching
something. For example, eating carrion – something that has already died.
FACTS ABOUT VULTURES: QUIZ
Test your new-found knowledge about vultures by answering the quiz questions below. When
you are finished with the quiz, why not try and write a short story or a poem about a vulture
using the facts you have learned, or perhaps draw a picture of one?
What are the

largest and
1 smallest species
of vulture in the
world?
What is a
2 scavenger, and
what do they
eat?
3 What are the two

types of vulture
and where do
they come from?
Why don’t
4 vultures have
feathers around
their faces and
heads?
What is the other

5 name for a
Bearded Vulture,
and what are
they specially
adapted to eat?
What is an
6 omnivore, and
can you name
three examples
of omnivorous
animals?
How many
7 species of vulture
are there? Can
you name five
different species?
What is the
8 greatest threat to
vultures’ survival
in the wild?
9 Can you give one

example of how
vultures’ survival
is important for
people?
10 How are zoos and

falconry centres
able to make sure
that vulture
species will
survive in the
future?

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The Falconry Centre, Hagley

Kidderminster Road South, Hagley

FACTS ABOUT VULTURES

There are 23 different species of Vulture, spread around the

Vultures are generally scavengers, which means that instead of

Vultures are often misunderstood. People seem to think of them

Both groups of vultures have evolved to have no or few feathers

New World Vultures

These are the American species of Vultures.

Old Word Vultures

There are two species of smaller vulture in the

A Future for Vultures

In India, many vultures die every year after eating dead

An ‘adaptation’ is a feature or process that an animal has to help it survive

What are the

3 What are the two

What is the other

9 Can you give one

10 How are zoos and

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