Vultures: Essential Scavengers & Birds of Prey

Vultures are nature’s cleanup crew. By consuming carrion, they prevent the spread of disease and recycle nutrients – yet they are among the most persecuted birds on the planet.

Old World vs New World

Old World vultures (Africa, Asia, Europe) are in the Accipitridae family and find food by sight. New World vultures (the Americas) include the Andean and California condors and locate carcasses largely by smell – a rare trait in birds.

Unique Adaptations

• Powerful stomach acid neutralizes anthrax, botulinum, and cholera.
• Bare heads and necks stay clean while feeding.
• Soaring flight covers huge distances cheaply.

Conservation Crisis

In South Asia, diclofenac painkiller poisoned millions of vultures in the 1990s. Learn how targeted action helped in our Conservation stories.