Skip to main content

Wildlife Guide · Africa & Asia

Vulture

Old World vultures (family Accipitridae) and New World vultures (family Cathartidae)

Nature's clean-up crew, vanishing fast in parts of Asia and Africa

Varies; many Old World vultures Critically Endangered
A vulture with a bald, unfeathered head and broad dark wings perched beside an animal carcass on dry open ground

Image: Source: Global Animal Guide (WARN) — verify license before production

In brief

A vulture is a large scavenging bird of prey that feeds mainly on carrion. There are two unrelated groups: Old World vultures of Africa, Asia and Europe, and New World vultures of the Americas, which evolved similar features independently. Most have a bald head and soar to find food.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated

Vultures are large scavenging birds of prey that feed mainly on carrion, the carcasses of dead animals. They fall into two unrelated groups: Old World vultures of Africa, Asia and Europe, which belong to the same family as eagles and hawks, and New World vultures of the Americas, which form a separate family. The two groups look strikingly similar because they evolved the same scavenging lifestyle independently, an example of convergent evolution. Most share a bald head, keen eyesight and a remarkable ability to soar for hours on rising warm air while scanning the ground below. By consuming carcasses quickly, vultures remove disease before it spreads, making them one of the most ecologically valuable birds on Earth.

23

living vulture species worldwide

~99%

decline of some Asian vulture populations since the 1990s

pH ~1

stomach acidity that destroys deadly pathogens

16 + 7

Old World species plus New World species

Figures sourced from Vulture - Wikipedia, Old World vulture - Wikipedia, New World vulture - Wikipedia and other references on this page.

Vulture: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Vulture
Common name Vulture
Groups Old World and New World vultures
Living species About 23 worldwide
Diet Carrion (scavenger)
Distribution Every continent except Antarctica and Australia
Habitat Open country, savanna, mountains, forest edges, deserts
Key feature Bald head, broad soaring wings, keen eyesight
Stomach acidity Around pH 1, kills most pathogens
Behaviour Soars on thermals; feeds in groups called wakes
Conservation Varies; several Old World species Critically Endangered

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Vulture
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Accipitriformes
Families Accipitridae (Old World vultures); Cathartidae (New World vultures)
Groups Old World vultures; New World vultures
Living species About 23 (16 Old World, 7 New World)

Conservation Status

IUCN Status
Status varies enormously across the roughly 23 vulture species. Many are still relatively widespread, but a large proportion of Old World vultures are now classed as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN, including several South Asian and African species that have suffered some of the steepest declines recorded in any birds. New World vultures are generally more secure, though the California condor remains Critically Endangered after near-extinction.
Population
No reliable global total; trends are tracked per species. Several Critically Endangered Asian and African species number only in the thousands or fewer.
Trend
Declining overall, with severe crashes in parts of Asia and Africa, though a few species are stable or recovering through intervention.
Assessed
Assessed individually by species on the IUCN Red List; group status reflects recent assessments through the 2010s and 2020s.
CITES
Many vulture species are listed on CITES Appendix I or II, restricting international trade.

Status is reported per species on the IUCN Red List rather than for vultures as a whole, because the two unrelated groups span many separate species.

Did you know?

A Ruppell's griffon vulture was recorded flying at about 11,000 metres, the highest altitude ever confirmed for any bird, roughly the cruising height of a passenger jet.

Key Facts: Vulture

  • Vultures are specialised scavengers that feed almost entirely on carrion, the carcasses of dead animals.
  • There are two unrelated groups: Old World vultures (Africa, Asia, Europe) and New World vultures (the Americas), which evolved similar traits independently.
  • Conservation status varies enormously: several Old World species are Critically Endangered while some are still relatively secure.
  • The veterinary painkiller diclofenac, fatal to vultures that eat treated livestock carcasses, caused South Asian populations to collapse by up to 99% from the 1990s.
  • Extremely acidic stomachs let vultures safely digest carcasses carrying anthrax, botulism and other pathogens, limiting the spread of disease.
  • By clearing carcasses rapidly, vultures provide a free, natural sanitation service that protects both wildlife and people.

What is a vulture and what makes it different?

A vulture is a large bird of prey that has specialised in scavenging rather than hunting live prey. Instead of strong gripping talons like a hawk or eagle, most vultures have relatively weak, flattened feet better suited to walking around a carcass than seizing prey. Their most recognisable feature is a bald or sparsely feathered head and neck. Feeding deep inside a carcass would foul any feathers there, so bare skin stays cleaner and is easier to keep free of bacteria; it also helps the bird regulate its temperature. Vultures are superb soarers, riding columns of warm rising air called thermals so they can patrol vast areas while using very little energy. Old World vultures locate food almost entirely by sight, scanning the ground from great height. Several New World vultures, such as the turkey vulture, add an unusually keen sense of smell, detecting gases from decay even under forest cover. A flock circling in the air is called a kettle, a group feeding at a carcass a wake, and birds resting together a committee.

Why are so many vultures endangered?

Vulture conservation status varies dramatically by species. Some remain reasonably widespread, but a large share of Old World species are now Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered, and the group as a whole has suffered some of the steepest declines of any birds. The most notorious cause is diclofenac, a cheap anti-inflammatory drug given to livestock. When cattle treated with it die, vultures that feed on the carcasses suffer fatal kidney failure. From the early 1990s this collapsed populations of several South Asian species by up to 99% in only a couple of decades, one of the fastest declines ever recorded in a wild bird. In Africa, deliberate and accidental poisoning is the leading threat: poachers sometimes lace carcasses to stop circling vultures revealing the location of illegal kills, killing hundreds of birds at once. Other pressures include collisions with power lines, loss of large wild grazing animals, and use of vulture body parts in traditional medicine. Because vultures breed slowly, often raising a single chick at a time, recovery is painfully slow once a population crashes.

Why do vultures matter to ecosystems and people?

Vultures are among nature's most important recyclers. A group can strip a large carcass in hours, removing rotting flesh before it becomes a breeding ground for disease. Their stomachs are extraordinarily acidic, with a pH close to 1, which destroys dangerous pathogens such as anthrax, botulism and cholera that would sicken other animals. By consuming infected carcasses safely, vultures break chains of transmission that could otherwise reach livestock and humans. When vultures disappear, the consequences ripple outward. After the Asian vulture collapse, carcasses lingered longer and populations of feral dogs and rats rose, which is linked to greater risks of rabies and other diseases. Vultures therefore provide a vast, free sanitation service that would be almost impossible and hugely expensive to replace. Protecting them means tackling shared threats such as poisoning, habitat loss and the disappearance of the large wild and domestic animals whose carcasses they depend on, exactly the kinds of pressures that also harm many other species.

Old World vs New World vultures

FeatureOld World vulturesNew World vultures
Where they liveAfrica, Asia, EuropeNorth and South America
FamilyAccipitridae (with eagles, hawks)Cathartidae (separate family)
Finding foodBy eyesight onlySight, plus strong smell in some species
VoiceCan produce varied callsNo voice box; mostly hiss and grunt
Cooling habitPant and seek shadeSome urinate on their own legs to cool
RelationshipBoth look alike through convergent evolution, not close kinshipBoth look alike through convergent evolution, not close kinship

What WARN Does

World Animal Rescue Network does not run dedicated field projects for vultures, most of which live outside the countries where WARN and its partners work. This guide is part of WARN's free educational mission to help people understand and value wildlife. The threats that have pushed many vultures towards extinction, such as poisoning, habitat loss and the decline of the animals they feed on, are the same pressures that harm species WARN does help protect, which is why raising awareness of them matters.

If you value clear, science-based wildlife guides like this one, a small gift helps keep WARN's educational work free for everyone.

Support Habitat Protection Donate to WARN

Vulture: Frequently Asked Questions

What do vultures eat?
Vultures eat carrion, the flesh of animals that are already dead. They almost never kill healthy prey. Most feed on whatever carcasses they find, from large grazing animals to smaller creatures. A few, such as the lammergeier, specialise in bones, while the palm-nut vulture also eats fruit. By consuming the dead, vultures recycle nutrients and stop carcasses spreading disease.

Why do vultures have bald heads?
A vulture's bald head is an adaptation to its messy diet. Because vultures push their heads deep inside carcasses, bare skin stays far cleaner than feathers would, and is easier to keep free of harmful bacteria after feeding. The exposed skin also helps the bird control its body temperature, flushing red when hot and paling when cool, and in some species plays a role in social signalling.

Are vultures dangerous to humans?
No. Vultures are not dangerous to people. They scavenge dead animals and have weak feet unsuited to attacking live prey, so they pose no threat to humans, pets or livestock. They will not harm a living animal. In fact vultures benefit people by clearing carcasses and destroying dangerous pathogens such as anthrax and rabies in their highly acidic stomachs, reducing disease risk in the wider environment.

What is the difference between Old World and New World vultures?
Old World vultures live in Africa, Asia and Europe and belong to the same bird family as eagles and hawks. New World vultures live in the Americas and form a separate family. They look alike only because both evolved to scavenge, an example of convergent evolution. A key difference is that Old World vultures find food by sight, while some New World vultures, like the turkey vulture, also use a strong sense of smell.

Why are vultures endangered?
Many vultures, especially in Asia and Africa, have declined catastrophically. The biggest cause in South Asia is the livestock drug diclofenac, which causes fatal kidney failure in vultures that eat treated carcasses and cut some populations by up to 99% since the 1990s. In Africa, poisoning, including carcasses deliberately laced by poachers, is the leading threat. Power lines, habitat loss and slow breeding rates make recovery difficult.

How high and how far can vultures fly?
Vultures are exceptional soarers, riding rising columns of warm air called thermals to gain height without flapping. Many routinely soar at hundreds of metres and can reach several thousand metres up. The Ruppell's griffon vulture holds the record for the highest confirmed bird flight, recorded at around 11,000 metres. By gliding from thermal to thermal, vultures can cover very large distances each day while spending little energy searching for food.

Where do vultures live?
Vultures live in Every continent except Antarctica and Australia. A vulture is a large scavenging bird of prey that feeds mainly on carrion. There are two unrelated groups: Old World vultures of Africa, Asia and Europe, and New World vultures of the Americas, which evolved similar features independently.

How long do vultures live?
A precise wild lifespan for vultures is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. A vulture is a large scavenging bird of prey that feeds mainly on carrion. There are two unrelated groups: Old World vultures of Africa, Asia and Europe, and New World vultures of the Americas, which evolved similar features independently. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

How big is a vulture?
A vulture is a large scavenging bird of prey that feeds mainly on carrion. There are two unrelated groups: Old World vultures of Africa, Asia and Europe, and New World vultures of the Americas, which evolved similar features independently.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

Latest Vulture Stories

Quick, fact-checked reads on the vulture — amazing facts, key questions and the threats it faces.

Species

Slow Loris: Why the Internet's Favourite Pet Is a Conservation Disaster

The slow loris looks like a cartoon character — and that has nearly destroyed the species. Here is the truth behind the viral videos.

Read the story

Species

The Snow Leopard: Why the Ghost of the Mountains Is Still Vulnerable

The snow leopard is one of the most elusive big cats on earth, with an estimated 4,000-6,500 individuals across twelve range states — including Pakistan, where WARN is preparing to operate. This briefing explains why the species was downlisted from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2017 and why that is not the success story it sounds like.

Read the story

Guides

Sun Bear vs Moon Bear: The Two Most Trafficked Asian Bears

The sun bear and the Asiatic black bear (moon bear) are the two most commonly trafficked bears in Asia — for the pet trade, for traditional medicine and for bear-bile farming. Here is how to tell them apart.

Read the story

Explore More Species

Every animal in our network faces a crisis. Learn about the others.

View all wildlife guides
Support Habitat Protection