#千万IP创科普# As a bird of prey, it only eats dead things! How did the vulture become a "clear stream" in the bird world?

Vultures are birds of prey but they only eat dead animals?

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Name: Vulture

English name: Aegypius monachus

Body length: 1.08-1.2 meters, wingspan of more than 2 meters long and 0.6 meters wide

Weight: generally 5.75 to 8.5 kg;

Class: Chordata, Aves, Accipitridae, Accipitridae, Griffon vultures

Charming photos:

Appearance: The vulture is large in size and is the largest bird of prey on the plateau. The head and neck are partially exposed, hence the name vulture. The forehead to the occipital area is covered with brown down feathers, and there are lanceolate tufts of feathers at the base of the neck. The exposed head can easily reach into the abdominal cavity of a corpse; the base of the vulture's neck has a circle of relatively long feathers, which, like a human napkin, can prevent the feathers on the body from getting dirty when eating the corpse.

Living habits: Vultures often live in low hills and high mountains and deserts. They often move alone or in small groups to compete for food. They are active during the day and are good at soaring in the sky. They have sharp vision and sense of smell. They mainly feed on large animal carcasses and other rotten animals, and occasionally attack small animals. They are called "cleaners on the grassland."

Growth and reproduction: Vultures usually nest in the upper part of the forest, and also in exposed high mountain areas. The nests are mostly built on trees, and occasionally on rocks on hillsides or cliffs. The breeding season is from March to May. There is one egg in a nest, and the male and female birds take turns to incubate it. The incubation period is 52-55 days. The chicks mature late and can fly after 90-150 days. They reach sexual maturity at many years old, and their lifespan is about 65 years.

Distribution range: Vultures are distributed in Qinghai, Tibet, Gansu and other places in China, as well as in southern Europe, northwestern Africa, Central Asia and other places.

Weird story:

The condor, also known as the mountain eagle, is the largest bird of prey in the world. Although the name of the condor is very domineering, it has a powerful beak and sharp claws, but it has a very strange scavenging habit, so it generally does not hunt prey, but mostly picks up the leftovers of other animals.

Vultures often fly high in the sky to observe where there are fallen animals. Once they find a target, they will stay nearby and wait for the target to die. They are very patient and sometimes wait for two days. If the animal still does not move, they will slowly fly closer and observe closely whether the opponent's abdomen is moving and whether the eyes are moving. If there is still no movement, the vultures will begin to land near the body and walk towards the target quietly. They are very cautious. When they walk, they open their mouths, stretch their necks, spread their wings, and are ready to take off at any time. After repeatedly confirming that there is no danger, they will immediately tear open the prey's body with their sharp beaks and feast on it.

Vultures are birds of prey, but they only eat dead animals? Is this true? False. Vultures’ food is basically carrion and rotten meat, but vultures often have carrion, while rotten meat is not. As a member of the raptors, vultures will attack some small and medium-sized mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and even poultry to fill their stomachs when food is scarce.

However, vultures have a low reproductive capacity and their numbers are decreasing rapidly. In many parts of Europe, vultures have disappeared. In order to protect this rare species, vultures are listed as first-class protected animals in China and are included in the "List of Key Protected Wildlife in China". In 2020, they were included in the "Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union" (IUCN) and listed as Near Threatened (NT). The International Bird Conservation Committee listed vultures in the "Red List of Endangered Birds in the World". These measures are aimed at protecting this precious species from extinction.