Vultures and Its Importance

Vultures are scavenging birds of Prey and deadly feeders consume only that which is already dead pulling dead flesh to obtain sufficient energy required for growth and survival. According to  their feeding habit vultures are referred to as‘teasers’, ‘pullers’ and ‘peckers’. They are nature’s cleaners and ideal for the fiddlers work because they feed picking up smaller particles of carcass from bone. According to morphology and feeding behavior All the Gyps, which is the main species of vultures are referred to as ‘pullers’ type. Their feeding strategy are more formulating, use their longneck, feather-free heads and sharp beak reaching deep into a carcass to pull out the viscera and soft flesh. They also use powerful talons to separate meat from  bone. They  follow the  hierchial  system of  feeding from ancient time. For feeding, they fly over great distances after locating they wait for king. When king appear open the carcass and feed on eye, ear, heart and liver with two or three of their family member. During this, other vulture species wait for their chance and soar near of it. After Sarcogyps calvus the dominant species is Gyps indicus come and feed on almost entirely on all parts of carcass in association with slender billed vulture, white backed vulture, then internal parts of carcass tears and consumes by migratory vulture species such as Eurasian griffon and Himalayan griffon. Scattered carrion, ribs and bone feed by Egyptian vulture, Cinereous vulture and Bearded vulture.Because these components of a carcass offer the richest source of food, Gyps make up by far the majority of the vulture population throughout the old world; usually around 90%. In India, though, this figure has traditionally been closer to 99% (Houston,1988),perhaps largely because an ongoing entanglement has undermined the need for ‘tearer’ species with humans who ‘open’ carcasses when they remove the skin for leather.

In the earlier, villages and towns remain free of putrefying flesh due to the presence of these splendid scavengers. Because they are bald, no feathers on their head. This prevents bits of carrion, which can carry toxic bacteria, from sticking to feathers and infecting the bird.but now days due to overpopulation and conversion of natural habitat into construction site no any vultures seen near the accidentally killed animal carcass even after two or three days. This leads to, dead body spoiled and smell badly which causing several diseases by producing pathogens such as bacteria, virus, an fungus.Vultures have an important role in their habitats because they feed primarily on carrion, or the flesh of dead animals. They are particularly good scavengers as they can fly and cover a greater distance than scavengers that are on foot. They often stick their heads inside carcasses to pull out meat, and they get very messy. It is easier to keep a baldhead clean. This cuts down on bacteria that could grow in their feathers and make them sick. 

The Old World and New World vultures have some advantage regarding to feeding as Old World vultures have very good eyesight, have heavy, strong beaks and very strong taloned feet while New World vultures rely heavily on smell to locate their meals. The turkey vulture has a highly sensitive sense of smell. The different vultures are all specialized for eating different parts of the carcass. There will be a few of the much larger vultures that will do the heavy work of opening the hide and breaking the bones of the dead animal. Then there are several different kinds of smaller vultures that are better suited for eating out of cavities, or pulling meat off bones. When they are all together, they can strip a carcass of meat very quickly before the meat spoils in the heat, or before other scavengers drive them from their mealwith their strong, gripping feet. This types of division or adaptations in vultures discard the inter and intraspecific competition.

 

Fig.: New World Vulture  (Cathartes aura)

Fig.:Old World Vulture  (Sarcogyps calvus) 

Ref:

Yadav et al. (2020)Hierarchical role and adaptations for feeding in Vultures. In Organisms and Environment Ed. Sarkar A.K. . Educrearion Publication.