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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.
New World vultures and condors do not build nests, but lay eggs on bare surfaces. On average one to three eggs are laid, depending on the species. [35] Chicks are naked on hatching and later grow down. Like most birds, the parents feed the young by regurgitation. [42] The young are altricial, fledging in 2 to 3 months. [41]
The black vulture (Coragyps atratus), also known as the American black vulture, Mexican vulture, zopilote, urubu, or gallinazo, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the southeastern United States to Peru, Central Chile and Uruguay in South America.
However, the two groups strongly resemble each other due to convergent evolution. The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. [3] It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by the early stages of decay in dead animals. [3]
Vulture heads are believed to provide clairvoyance or good luck like winning the lottery. [ 11 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] The length of time a vulture can be used by healers is dependent on size and species. Some healers have been recorded using Cape vultures for 6 years because they are said to last longer than other species.
'Cinereous vulture' (Latin cineraceus, ash-coloured; pale, whitish grey), was a deliberate attempt to rename it with a new name distinct from the American black vulture. [4] This bird is an Old World vulture, and as such is only distantly related to the New World vultures, which are in a separate family, Cathartidae, of the same
The king vulture lacks a voice box, although it can make low croaking noises and wheezing sounds in courtship, and bill-snapping noises when threatened. [27] Its only natural predators are snakes, which will prey upon the vulture's eggs and young, and large cats such as jaguars, which may surprise and kill an adult vulture at a carcass. [48]
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).