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Old World vulture

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Old World vultures
Nubian Vulture or Lappet-faced Vulture
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genera

Gypaetus
Gyps
Torgos
Aegypius
Neophron
Gypohierax
Necrosyrtes

Old World vultures belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks.

They are not at all 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 are due to convergent evolution rather than a close relationship. They were widespread in both the Old World and North America, during the Neogene.

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. This is because a feathered head would become spattered with blood and other fluids, and thus be difficult to keep clean.

Species

Category: