This large bird prefers to nest along cliffs near mountains and, like many other vultures, only lays one egg per year. The Cape vulture, another African native, makes its home in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Angola, and some parts of Namibia. Cape Vulture ( Gyps coprotheres) Cape vultures are considered endangered and have wingspans that can exceed 8 feet To help them digest animal hides and bones, the RГјppell has a backward-facing tongue with spikes on it. Like the previous two entries, RГјppells vultures are critically endangered according to the IUCN and have suffered great losses via accidental poison ingestion. They also have a special protein that allows them to efficiently take in oxygen at extreme elevations. RГјppells vulture has a dark brown or black overall color coat, with a whiter underbelly and some white fluff near the head and neck. Evidence confirmed that they can fly at an altitude of up to 37,000 feet above sea level, thatвЂ™s taller than Mt. Despite not being the largest vulture, the RГјppell is the highest flying. Named after the German naturalist and explorer, this large bird is native mainly to the Sahel region of Africa, between the savanna and the desert. RГјppells Vulture ( Gyps rueppelli) The RГјppells vulture can soar at altitudes as high as 37,000 feet! An adult Indian vultureвЂ™s body is covered in pale feathers its wings consist of darker feathers. The Indian vulture mostly breeds along cliffs in south-central India, though it has been known to nest in trees on occasion.

Like most vultures, the head and neck of the Indian vulture are bald and featherless, which allows them to stick their faces into their meals and choose the best bites. The Best Nest Boxes Birds Will Actually Use for 2022 Their impact on stabilizing the local ecosystem is substantial. Since vultures feast on dead animals, when their population declines, feral dog and rat populations increase, along with the risk for diseases. The IUCN lists them as critically endangered, and captive breeding programs have been started to stop the decline of the species. Native to Nepal, India, and Pakistan, this old-world vulture has also experienced rapid population decline due to the accidental ingestion of poisons. Indian Vulture ( Gyps indicus) Indian vultures are listed as critically endangered Currently, the white-backed vulture is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. When the predators die, the vultures come to eat the carrion and ingest the poison as well. In a bid to protect their crops and livestock, farmers have misused poisons, like Furadan, to kill predators. The main culprit appears to be poison, though habitat loss is another contributing factor.

Once considered relatively stable, the population of these vultures has dropped severely over the past few decades. Only The Top 1% Can Ace our Animal Quizzes Think You Can? Take Our Brand New A-Z-Animals Birds Quiz True to its name, the white-backed vulture has white feathers along its back. Like most vultures, the white-backed prefers carrion. This large bird is native to Africa and breeds in the savannah, laying typically only one egg per year.

The white-backed vulture is an old-world vulture, so named because its habitat does not extend into the вЂњnew world,вЂќ or the western hemisphere explored and colonized by Europeans. White-backed Vulture ( Gyps Africanus) The white-backed vulture has a wingspan that can reach more than 7 feet In fact, the largest vulture species are bigger than all eagles, hawks, and falcons! LetвЂ™s take a look at these massive birds by counting down the top ten largest vultures alive today. However, their unique characteristics and massive size set them apart from nearly all other birds of prey. Hollywood has used the vultureвЂ™s peculiar profile as an effective villain in old animated movies, and they are generally not considered a desirable animal, much like a crow or raven. By its simplest definition: a vulture is a bird of prey that feeds on carrion (meat of dead animals).

Vulture wingspan