sabi sabi wild facts: vultures
1. Vultures play a very important role in the environment by helping to remove carcasses of animals, which prevents the spread of disease.
2. There are 2 distinct families of vultures. The family Accipitridae has 16 vulture species, which are found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are called Old World vultures and are thought to be most closely related to hawks and eagles. Family Cathartidae with 7 species including condors, are found in North and South America. They are the New World vultures and are genetically linked to storks and ibises.
3. Most vultures have elongated necks and featherless heads. This helps them stay cleaner when they delve deep into carcasses to feed.
4. Unlike raptors which have strong talons for killing prey, vultures generally have weak feet adapted more for walking than for clutching.
5. The Old World vultures find food purely by remarkable eyesight. The New World Turkey Vulture however, has as well, a very well developed sense of smell, and is one of the few birds in the world able to scent out food.
6. All vultures feed on carrion (animal carcasses), except for palm-nut vultures which are generally vegetarian and feed mainly on the fruit of the oil palm.
7. A group of vultures on the ground is called a venue, but a group circling in the air is called a kettle
8. The most common vulture species found at Sabi Sabi are the White-backed, Hooded, Lappet-Faced, White-Headed and Cape Griffon Vultures.
