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Revision as of 14:45, 28 May 2007
| Old World vultures | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nubian Vulture or Lappet-faced Vulture | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Falconiformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Subfamily: | Aegypiinae |
| Genera | |
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See text. | |
Old World vultures belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, buzzards, kites, and hawks.
Old World vultures are not closely related to the superficially similar New World vultures and condors, and do not share that group's good sense of smell. The similarities between the two groups of vultures are due to convergent evolution rather than a close relationship. They were widespread in both the Old World and North America, during the Neogene.
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 bald head, devoid of feathers. If vultures had head feathers they would become spattered with blood and other fluids, when the vultures eat flesh from carcasses, and thus be difficult to keep clean.
Species
Genus Aegypius
- Eurasian Black Vulture or Monk Vulture, Aegypius monachus
Genus Gypaetus
- Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus
Genus Gypohierax
- Palm-nut Vulture, Gypohierax angolensis
Genus Gyps
- Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus
- Indian White-rumped Vulture, Gyps bengalensis
- Rueppell's Vulture, Gyps rueppelli
- Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus
- Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris
- Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis
- White-backed Vulture, Gyps africanus
- Cape Griffon, Gyps coprotheres
Genus Necrosyrtes
- Hooded Vulture, Necrosyrtes monachus
Genus Neophron
- Egyptian Vulture, Neophron percnopterus
Genus Sarcogyps
- Red-headed Vulture, Sarcogyps calvus
Genus Torgos
- Lappet-faced Vulture, Torgos tracheliotus
Genus Trigonoceps
- White-headed Vulture, Trigonoceps occipitalis