Egyptian vulture

Neophron percnopterus · The Egyptian vulture is a small Old World vulture found from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa to West Asia and India.

Also called White scavenger vulture, Pharaoh's chicken.

Egyptian vulture
Photo: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0
Egyptian vulture
Photo: Tisha Mukherjee, CC BY-SA 4.0
Egyptian vulture
Photo: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderAccipitriformes
FamilyAccipitridae
GenusNeophron
SpeciesNeophron percnopterus

Where it lives

Dry open country from southern Europe and North Africa to India.

Fun facts

  • To crack big eggs, this vulture tosses a large pebble onto them, using a stone as a tool.
  • Egyptian vultures also use twigs to roll up wool, which they use to line their nests.
  • It is the only Old World vulture that regularly eats faeces, and the carotenoids in it help give its face a bright yellow color.
  • Tests suggest that the pebble-throwing behaviour is innate, not learnt by watching other birds.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).