Birds Guide

Old World vultures
Nubian Vulture or Lappet-faced Vulture
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Falconiformes   Family: Accipitridae
Genera
Gypaetus Gyps Torgos Aegypius Neophron Gypohierax Necrosyrtes

Old World vultures belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks.

They are not at all closely related to the superficially similar New World vultures and condors, and do not share that group's good sense of smell. The similarities between the two groups are due to convergent evolution rather than a close relationship. They were widespread in both the Old World and North America, during the Neogene.

Vultures are scavenging birds, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals. Old World vultures find carcasses exclusively by sight.

A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald head, devoid of feathers. This is because a feathered head would become spattered with blood and other fluids, and thus be difficult to keep clean.

Species

• Genus Aegypius
  • Eurasian Black Vulture or Monk Vulture, Aegypius monachus
• Genus Gypaetus
  • Lämmergeier or Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus
• Genus Gypohierax
  • Palm-nut Vulture, Gypohierax angolensis
• Genus Gyps
  • Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus
    Indian White-rumped Vulture, Gyps bengalensis
    Rüppell's Vulture, Gyps rueppelli
    Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus
    Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis
    White-backed Vulture, Gyps africanus
    Cape Griffon, Gyps coprotheres
• Genus Necrosyrtes
  • Hooded Vulture, Necrosyrtes monachus
• Genus Neophron
  • Egyptian Vulture, Neophron percnopterus
• Genus Sarcogyps
  • Red-headed Vulture, Sarcogyps calvus
• Genus Torgos
  • Lappet-faced Vulture, Torgos tracheliotus
• Genus Trigonoceps
  • White-headed Vulture, Trigonoceps occipitalis