Vulture

Vultures are characterized by their
featherless necks.

       Vulture, the common name for a class of carrion-eating birds, characterized by necks destitute of feathers and by elongated beaks, with curved upper mandibles. Their talons are not relatively strong, and in tearing prey apart, they make more use of their beaks than of their claws. Vultures are usually of a cowardly disposition and will not attack live animals, unless the latter are seriously wounded or dying, as they feed almost entirely on decaying animal flesh. They fly high in the air and detect their prey from great distances. They are valuable scavengers in all warm and tropical countries. 

Two More Vulture Types:

       The California vulture has a long, flat, orange-colored head and dull black plumage, with a grayish wing band. It builds a loose nest of sticks, in a hollow in a tree or cliff, and lays one round, greenish-white egg. 

       The Egyptian species, called "Pharaoh's hen," is found in the countries bordering the Mediterranean.

More From The Web About Vultures:

• Vultures: The acid-puking, plague-busting heroes of the ecosystem by Kenny Coogan
• Vultures: Crime Scene Clean-Up Crew
• Vultures - Africa's Wild Wonders - Secrets of Nature