Latest Vulture Stories
The University of Texas at Austin Scavengers might not play as key a role in spreading anthrax through wildlife populations as previously assumed, according to findings from a small study conducted in Etosha National Park in northern Namibia. Wildlife managers currently spend large amounts of money and time to control anthrax outbreaks by preventing scavengers from feeding on infected carcasses. The effort might be ill spent, according to results published in Applied and...
Veterinary drug residue in cattle and livestock carcasses is killing South Asian vultures Vultures in South Asia were on the brink of extinction until Lindsay Oaks and Richard Watson, from The Peregrine Fund in the US, undertook observational and forensic studies to find out why the number of birds was falling so rapidly. They discovered the vultures were being poisoned by residues of an anti-inflammatory drug (diclofenac) used in cattle and other livestock, whose carcasses they feed on....
The banning of a painkiller that causes visceral gout, a fatal kidney ailment in vultures, has shown first signs of progress in the populations of South Asian vultures, according to scientists.But the study warns that the death rate from the drug is still too high, and that the complete removal of the painkiller, diclofenac, is needed to see further recovery of the wild vulture populations.Veterinary use of diclofenac in the treatment of cattle and buffaloes was banned in 2006 by India, Nepal...
The Egyptian vulture population of the Canary Islands was established following the arrival of the first human settlers who brought livestock to the islands. A genetic comparison of Iberian and Canarian birds, published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology, found that the Egyptian vulture population in the Canary Islands was likely established around 2500 years ago "“ around the same time as humans began to colonise the islands.Rosa Agudo worked with a team of researchers...
Rapid color changes of skin used for interaction and displays of dominanceTech savvy humans who use social media sites to instantly update their 'statuses', may be behaving like vultures who use 'face flushing' as a visible way of instantly updating their own status when interacting with peers and rivals. Research, published in Ethology, reveals how the ability to rapidly change skin color is a key form of interaction for vultures, especially for displays of dominance.The ability to rapidly...
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Marvel's famous web-slinger is back in action and on store shelves in Spider-Man(TM): Shattered Dimensions from Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI). Activision development studio Beenox has created a unique, immersive experience allowing fans to play as four distinct versions of Spider-Man in four unique worlds - Amazing, Noir, 2099 and Ultimate - in a race to save their universes against the villainous machinations of Mysterio, Carnage,...
Wildlife Conservation Society-led census boasts record numbers for vulturesWhile vultures across Asia teeter on the brink of extinction, the vultures of Cambodia are increasing in number, providing a beacon of hope for these threatened scavengers, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other members of the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project.Researchers report that record numbers of vultures have been counted in Cambodia's annual vulture census, with 296 birds of three...
A second veterinary pain drug used to treat cattle could be deadly to endangered vultures that feed on the carcasses of livestock, according to a study released Wednesday.The death toll of the slender-billed and oriental white-backed vultures has reached the millions in South Asia, mostly in India, after consuming the carcasses of sick cattle that had been treated with anti-inflammatory painkiller diclofenac, reported the Associated Press.Researchers writing in the Royal Society journal...
After being rescued, the last of eight griffon vultures was fitted with a satellite transmitter before being sent off into the wild last month from the northern Croatian island of Cres.Though the vulture seemed hesitant to leave its place of safety for a long migration, its instincts finally kicked in and it took off in search of food, reported AFP.Many European countries have seen an extinction of griffon vultures, which are now endangered in Croatia. In an attempt to stave off extinction,...
A Florida trapper said a flock of vultures returning to Brevard County for the winter tore up a pool cover, allowing one of the birds to take a dip.Chris Gangraw of The Critterman trapping service in Rockledge, Fla., said vultures are rapidly appearing in the area in great numbers, and he was called to catch a group of the scavengers holding an unauthorized pool party Monday in Baytree, Florida Today reported Thursday.He said the birds were captured and set free away from the pool.Gangraw and...
Latest Vulture Reference Libraries
The Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes burrovianus), also known as the Savannah Vulture, is a species of bird belonging to the New World Vulture family Cathartidae. It was considered to be the same species as the Greater Yellow-headed Vulture until they were separated in 1964. It can be found in Mexico, Central America, and South America in seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, heavily degraded former forests and swamps. It’s a large bird, with a wingspan of 59 to 65 inches. The...
The Greater Yellow-Headed Vulture (cathartes melambrotus) is also known as the Forest Vulture, it is a species of bird in the New World Vulture family Cathartidae. It was considered to be the same species as the Lesser Yellow-Headed Vulture until they were split in 1964. It is found in South America in tropical moist lowland forest. It is a fairly large bird, with a wingspan of 65 to 70 inches, a weight of 3.6 pounds and a body length of 25 to 30 inches. The body plumage is black, and the...
The Lappet-faced Vulture or Nubian Vulture (Torgos tracheliotus) is an African Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes. It is the only member of the genus Torgos. A distinct subspecies, T. t. negevensis, occurs in the Sinia, the Negev desert and possibly in north-west Saudi Arabia. It is about 1.15 meters long, with a wingspan of 3 meters. The average weight is 14 kilograms. This expert scavenger feeds mainly from the carcasses of dead animals which it finds by...
The Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) also known as the King Vulture or the Pondicherry Vulture, is a species of Old World vulture found in South Asia.
The Cape Griffon or Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres) is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae. It is common to southern Africa, and is found mainly in South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana. They nest on cliffs and typically lay one egg per year. The species is listed as "Vulnerable", and the IUCN Conservation Status is (VU A1ade+2de, C1+2b). The major problems it faces are poisoning, disturbance at breeding colonies and electrocution. The current population is estimated at 8,000.
