Vultures, the scavenger birds! Vultures are large scavenger birds. Scavengers are birds that eat dead animals that are decomposing, so that they keep the environment clean. Vultures have a naked head and neck that allows them to feed deep in the dead bodies of animal, without contaminating their feathers with blood or flesh. They also have long, big wings designed for flying high in air for hours as they watch for bodies of animals that have died or have been killed by predators. A few vultures have a well-developed sense of smell that detect decaying or rotting bodies. Sometimes they occasionally attack newborn or wounded living animals. Some types of vultures have powerful beaks that are specialised for tearing open the tough skin of large mammals. Many vultures have a large throat pouch called a crop that stores food so that they can feed their young. Large vultures can live for over two weeks without eating. One interesting thing about these scavengers is that they have a head vulture called the King Vulture. It seems that this King Vulture leads and organises the rest of the vultures as they hunt for dead animals to eat. Though these birds eat many dead things, they are very important in our environment because they help to prevent the spread of diseases that hide in the rotting remains of animals. Vultures have a colourful look that distinguishes them from other scavengers. They are mainly white, with black tails. They have sharp coloured eyes that range from yellow, orange to red. Ends
