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Aegypiinae is one of two subfamilies of Accipitridae that are referred to as Old World vultures, the other being the Gypaetinae.They are not closely related to the Gypaetinae, and are instead a sister group to the serpent-eagles (Circaetinae).
Both Old World and New World vultures are scavenging birds, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals. Old World vultures find carcasses exclusively by sight. A particular characteristic of many vultures is a semi-bald head, sometimes without feathers or with just simple down. Historically, it was thought that this was due to feeding habits ...
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion.There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). [2] Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and South America and consist of seven identified species, all belonging to the Cathartidae family.
Egyptian vultures are widely distributed across the Old World with their breeding range from southern Europe to northern Africa east to western and southern Asia. They are rare vagrants in Sri Lanka. [28] They occur mainly on the dry plains and lower hills. In the Himalayas, they go up to about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in summer.
The white-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) is an Old World vulture endemic to Africa.Populations have been declining steeply in recent years due to habitat degradation and poisoning of vultures at carcasses.
Vultures have evolved into highly efficient scavengers, traveling hundreds of kilometers in flocks, with excellent eyesight able to identify carcasses up to six kilometers (3.7 miles) away.
The cinereous vulture is a largely solitary bird, being found alone or in pairs much more frequently than most other Old World vultures. At large carcasses or feeding sites, small groups may congregate. Such groups can rarely include up to 12 to 20 vultures, with some older reports of up to 30 or 40. [5] [6]
Aegypius is a genus of Old World vultures found in the subfamily Aegypiinae.Of the three species in the genus, only the cinereous vulture is extant. The cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) is a creature that is hard to find as it is “a near threatened raptor that occurs in isolated populations across its range” (Çakmak).