Vultures

Vultures are large birds with bald heads and wide wings. They eat animals that are already dead. This is called scavenging. Vultures help keep nature clean by getting rid of dead bodies.

Clean-Up Crew

Vultures find food by flying high in the sky. They watch for dead animals below. Some vultures use their sense of smell, while others use their sharp eyes. By eating dead animals, they stop diseases from spreading.

A large vulture standing tall in the African sun.
A large vulture standing tall in the African sun. (Gyps_rueppellii_-Nairobi_National_Park,_Kenya-8.jpg: Jorge Láscar from Bogotá, Colombia derivative work: Snowmanradio (talk) / Wikimedia Commons)

Bald Heads

Most vultures have bald heads for a good reason. When they stick their heads into dead animals, feathers would get very messy. A bald head is easier to keep clean. It also helps them stay cool in hot weather.

Fun Facts

  • Vultures have super strong stomach acid that kills germs in their food.
  • A group of flying vultures is called a kettle.
  • Some vultures can fly as high as 37,000 feet.

Did You Know?

Vultures can eat food that would make other animals very sick because their stomachs are so powerful.