Egyptian Vulture
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[[image: EgyptianVulture.jpg ]] | [[image: EgyptianVulture.jpg ]] | ||
| - | '''Common Name:''' Egyptian Vulture | + | '''Common Name:''' Egyptian Vulture<br> |
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'''Scientific Name:''' Neophron percnopterus | '''Scientific Name:''' Neophron percnopterus | ||
'''Habitat:''' Europe, Africa and Asia; Found in South Europe, Northern Africa, Mesopotamia and Northern India. | '''Habitat:''' Europe, Africa and Asia; Found in South Europe, Northern Africa, Mesopotamia and Northern India. | ||
| - | '''Status:''' | + | '''Status:''' Endangered. '''Global Population:''' 21,000 - 67,200 mature individuals. The Egyptian Vulture is declining in large parts of its range, often severely. In Europe and most of the Middle East, it is half as plentiful as it was about twenty years ago, and the populations in India and southwestern Africa have collapsed entirely. In the case of India, this apparently is attributable to the widespread use of the NSAID Diclofenac. Many famers poison vultures believing they promote disease—in fact, vultures do the opposite by cleaning up potential sites for diseases to spread. |
'''Diet:''' Egyptian vultures are specialists in egg-eating. They are among the only known birds in the world to use stones as tools. They will repeatedly strike at an abandoned ostrich egg with stones, and then use their beak to enlarge the hole and penetrate membrane. This behavior is not instinctive, but learned from other vultures, as the species is very intelligent. They also eat carrion and overripe fruit. | '''Diet:''' Egyptian vultures are specialists in egg-eating. They are among the only known birds in the world to use stones as tools. They will repeatedly strike at an abandoned ostrich egg with stones, and then use their beak to enlarge the hole and penetrate membrane. This behavior is not instinctive, but learned from other vultures, as the species is very intelligent. They also eat carrion and overripe fruit. | ||
This vulture flies with more wing beats than most vultures, but takes off much more gracefully, as it is built lighter and smaller. Once gliding, the bird holds its wings flat, shifting them very little. The bird possesses great endurance, and is able to fly up to 70 kilometers in search of food. | This vulture flies with more wing beats than most vultures, but takes off much more gracefully, as it is built lighter and smaller. Once gliding, the bird holds its wings flat, shifting them very little. The bird possesses great endurance, and is able to fly up to 70 kilometers in search of food. | ||
| - | '''Found in [http:// | + | |
| + | '''Found in [http://hivewire3d.com/songbird-remix-vultures.html Songbird ReMix Vultures]''' | ||
