![]() Some suggest that the bird's name stems from an old Mayan legend in which this vulture was a “king” or “lord” that carried messages between humans and the Gods. King vultures are found from Mexico south to Argentina. Both parents may also care for infants, bringing back dinner in their stomachs and regurgitating it for their young to enjoy. ![]() These birds nest on the ground, and females lay a single egg-which both parents incubate. As is the case with most scavenger- types, vultures routinely dine on some. They can often access meals that other vultures cannot, and smaller birds usually give way when they arrive to feed. and on the fly, vultures subsist on carrion. Sarcoramphus papa are among the bird world's largest scavengers and have powerful, hooked beaks that are excellently adapted for tearing open tough carcasses. In vultures’ absence, other scavenger populations increase to take advantage of all of the uneaten carrion. This may help the fastidious birds to stay clean, and ensure that bacteria-laden animal remains don't fester in the bird's plumage where they could spread disease. Though brightly colored, the vulture's head and neck are bald. They have piercing, often straw-colored eyes and multicolored (yellow, orange, and red) heads and necks. They are predominately white, with black tails and wing tips. King vultures have a very colorful look that distinguishes them from their vulture relatives. Because of their unappetizing eating habits, they fill an ecological niche, and may help to prevent the spread of disease by disposing of rotting remains. These large birds glide on air currents, conserving energy while searching the forests or savanna below for the corpses of dead animals. We recommend that improving fencing around abattoir facilities could help restrict access by feral dogs, increase foraging by vultures, and, therefore, increase overall carrion removal rates.Like other vultures, the king vulture is a scavenger. Our results indicate that ongoing vulture declines across Africa could significantly reduce carrion removal. Using estimates of species-specific carrion consumption rates from the literature, coupled with changes in scavenger detections in our study, we estimated a 12% (54 kg/day) reduction in carrion consumption, or nearly 20,000 kg carrion less consumed per year by the end of the study at these 6 abattoirs. Simultaneously, the detections of dogs more than doubled. africanus) vultures declined by 73% and critically endangered hooded vultures ( Necrosyrtes monachus) declined by 15% over the study period. ![]() Detections of critically endangered Rüppell's ( Gyps rueppelli) and white-backed ( G. At the start of the study, vultures contributed 57% of carrion removal provided by vertebrate scavengers. One of a handful of New World vultures, turkey vultures have an extremely good sense of smell, says associate professor of ecology and evolution Stephen. We demonstrated the importance of abattoirs for supporting a large number and diversity of scavenger species, including 3 critically endangered, 2 endangered, 1 vulnerable, and 2 regionally endemic bird species. Specifically, we investigated daily, seasonal, and inter-annual patterns in use of abattoirs by vertebrate scavengers and estimated carrion consumption rates. We studied vertebrate scavenger ecology at 6 abattoirs in Ethiopia with time-lapse photography and in-person surveys from 2014–2019. ![]() ![]() Little information exists on the scavenger community composition and dynamics at abattoirs, and, to our knowledge, the carrion removal that scavengers provide at these sites has never been quantified. slaughterhouses), thereby aiding in waste removal. Across Africa, many scavengers feed at abattoirs (i.e. By quickly locating and consuming carrion, vertebrate scavengers cycle nutrients, stabilize food webs, and may help mitigate disease transmission to humans. Scavenging is an important ecological process. ![]()
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