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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
lappet-faced
vulture |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Falconiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Accipitridae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Torgos
tracheliotus |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
lappet-faced vulture is a large bird with a heavy
head and massive bill. It has mainly dark feathers
and is easily identified by its bare pink head and
large, fleshy lappets (folds of skin) on sides of
its neck. |
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| SIZE: |
Approximately
100-105 cm (39.5-41.5 in.); wingspan 2.6 m (8.5
ft.) |
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| WEIGHT: |
Up
to 13.6 kg (30 lb) |
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| DIET: |
Mainly
feeds on carrion; prefers smaller dead animals such
as gazelle, hares, etc.; will feed opportunistically
on insects and small birds |
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| INCUBATION: |
Approximately
7 weeks |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
1
egg |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
Approximately
4-5 years |
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| RANGE: |
Sub-Sahara
Africa, Middle East, southern Arabia |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
arid open country; into parts of mountain and semi-desert
ranges |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Estimated
at about 8,500 individuals |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Vulnerable |
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| 1. |
The
lappet-faced vulture is one of the most aggressive
of African birds. It possesses one of the strongest
beaks, usually arriving last to the carcass due
to its ability to tear off flesh (such as skin,
tendons, and other coarse tissue) that is too tough
for smaller scavengers. In fact, they are able to
strip a small antelope carcass to the bone within
20 minutes. |
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| 2. |
Because
of their dominating size, they will often scare
off or steal from smaller vultures. |
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| 3. |
These
vultures do not feed strictly on carrion; they have
been known to sit by termite mounds or locust nests
and eat them as they emerge from their holes. |
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| 4. |
At
other times, lappet-faced vultures will raid flamingo
colonies, killing adults, young, and eating the
eggs. |
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| 5. |
They
are usually solitary or live in pairs. Contrary
to popular belief, they do not smell the carrion,
but rather by watching the behavior of other birds,
they are able to locate the food. |
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| 6. |
Their
featherless heads and necks help them to keep clean
because they can shake off any sticky remains of
their meals. The sun bakes off bacteria and parasites
from the carcass since this the hardest part of
the body to preen. |
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| 7. |
For
more information about raptors, explore the RAPTORS INFOBOOK. |
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The
scavenging behavior of the lappet-faced vultures
helps break down and recycle animal matter. They
aid in the removal of carcasses when it begins
to rot. Vulture eggs and young are prey for other
predators such as crows.
Small,
scattered breeding populations, habitat loss,
and poison carcasses used by some farmers have
all helped in diminishing the lappet-faced numbers.
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|
| Gotch,
A.F. Birds - Their Latin Names Explained.
Poole, Dorst: Blandford Press, 1981. |
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|
Perrins,
C. Birds: Their Life, Their Ways, Their World.
New York: The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
1979.
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| Perrins,
C. M. and A. L.A. Middleton, eds. The Encyclopedia
of Birds. New York: Facts on File Pub. 1985. |
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| Birdlife
International: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/search/species |
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