Flight of the Vulture

Soaring high above the Serengeti, a scavenger scours the plains with his sharp eyes, searching for his next meal. It is the Rüppell's Griffon vulture, the great bird of the Ol Karien Gorge near the Gol Mountains of Tanzania. Recognized as the highest-flying bird in the world (a Rüppell's Griffon vulture once collided with a commercial jetliner flying at 37,000 feet), this vulture spends much of his day in the air. Riding the warm thermal air currents of the Serengeti, the vulture begins his search for food shortly after sunrise and will cruise up to seven hours and 100 miles (160 km) each day. As a scavenger that feeds solely on carrion, the Rüppell's Griffon vulture is dependent upon meat killed by carnivores and any other dead animals it can find.

Far below on the savannah, a herd of wildebeest ventures across the open grassland.

Where there's a herd, there are likely to be predators, and that means food for the hungry vulture. Sure enough, two lions are stalking the wildebeest, ready to chase their prey into the snare of other lions lying in wait.

$DATE
Article by Valerie Deveraux
Photographs by $PLAYER

Kills made by carnivores such as lions shown here provide food for the Rüppell's Griffon vulture. Vultures also feed off animals that have died from old age, disease, or stillbirth.

A fresh kill by a lion means a meal for up to 50 vultures, who will feed on the leftover meat and organs..

Eagle Eyes Unlike other vultures that rely on smell to find food, the Rüppell's Griffon vulture uses its keen eyesight to spot a carcass. Seeing the lions and their kill, the vulture drops to the ground, attracting the attention of other vultures who join him in waiting for their chance to feed. Once the predator has had its fill, the vultures will bound forward with wings spread and neck outstretched, hissing, grunting, and shrieking at the carcass. The dominant bird will make a loud hissing noise, while subservient birds respond with a sobbing sound.

The vultures make quick work of the wildebeest carcass, finishing it off in just 20 minutes. As scavengers, the vultures provide a great service to the savannah, cleaning the area of predator "leftovers" that would otherwise rot and litter the landscape.

Having devoured the carcass, the vultures return to their colony in the Ol Karien Gorge, a great rocky cleft cutting through the landscape. In these seemingly inhospitable sheer walls - in some places, the gorge is only as wide as a vulture's 8-foot (2.4 m) wingspan - the vultures build their nests from sticks and droppings. Colonies of up to 1,000 pairs gather on the high ledges to lay their eggs and raise their young.

Colonies on the Cliffs

The Rüppell's Griffon vulture is a very social, gregarious bird. In addition to scavenging together, vultures live in large groups. Dozens of vultures will gather at pools of water to bathe and dry their wings.

These vultures also attend closely to their young. In fact, an adult vulture will feed its offspring before taking food for itself.

The vulture's offspring remains at the nest for about three months, until it is ready to take its own place in the colony. When grown, the Rüppell's Griffon vulture will stand up to three feet (1 m) tall and weigh up to 20 pounds (9 kg), certainly making it a sight to be seen high above the Serengeti.

Vultures approach a wildebeest carcass. Their strong bills and jagged tongues will quickly clean the meat from the animal's bones.

Vultures often gorge themselves at a carcass until they can barely take off. A vulture's full crop and gizzard can hold more than 13 pounds (6 kg) of food at a time.

Rüppell's Griffon vultures typically lay just one egg, which both parents will incubate for about 40 days.

For more information, visit: The Hawk Conservancy Trust Wildwatch -Vultures
www.superxstudios.com © Copyright 2005 Super X Studios. All rights reserved. Super X Studios and Wild Earth are registered trademarks of Super X Studios.