#ruppells vulture

[lycosiday]

Vulturetober day 9: Rüppell's vulture

Reference image

[boiga]

A committee of Rüppell's vultures (Gyps rueppelli) in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

by Gary Faulkner

[scienceskink]

Rüppells Vulture

The Star

This critically endangered species holds the world record for highest flying bird, at an impressive 11,300 m (37,000 ft)!

We know this because sadly a plane hit the vulture at this height, aside from planes at these heights the birds have to contend with low oxygen levels and incredible cold (at 11,000 metres the air temperature is -57°c!)

Their blood contains a specialized variant of hemoglobin which allows them to absorb oxygen efficiently at low air pressure, that and the incredible lung and air sac system birds have maximizes respiration.

[pleistocene-pride]

Rüppell's vulture also called Rüppell's griffon vulture, named after Eduard Rüppell, is a large bird of prey in the genus Gyps which is native throughout the sahel and eastern Africa including the countries of Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, The Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. Here they tend to inhabit grasslands, mountains, and open woodland. Rüppell's vultures are diurnal and very social birds, roosting, nesting, and feeding in large flocks. They spend much of their time flying at great altitudes, using strong winds and thermals to efficiently soar they are known to regular cruise at upwards of 20,000ft (6,000m) above the ground with some known to go as high as 37,000ft (11,300m) making them the highest flying bird. These vultures locate food by sight only, and often follow herds of animals. Once they find a carcass they swoop down, land a little way off, then bound forward with wings spread and their long neck outstretched. Even amongst old world vultures, Rüppell's vultures are specialized feeders with a spiked tongue and strong beak they can strip flesh with ease, and feed upon pelts, hides, and even the bones themselves.  Reaching around 33 to 41in (85 -103cms) long, 14 – 20lbs in weight, with a 7.5-8.6ft (2.26 -2.6m) wingspan. They are one of the largest vultures in Africa, both sexes sport mottled brown or black feathering overall with a whitish-brown underbelly and thin, dirty-white fluff covering the head and neck. The base of the neck has a white collar, the eye is yellow or amber, the crop patch deep brown. The head does not have feathers. This species of vulture is considered to be monogamous, forming lifelong breeding pairs. They nest on cliffs in colonies up to a 1,000 strong. After courtship a pair will work together to build a nest using sticks, grass, and leaves that they have gathered or stolen from other nests, here the mother will lay 1 egg. Both parents share in incubation of their egg over a period of 55 days. Once the chick hatches, both parents will feed and tend to it for about 150 days when it fledges. Young remain dependent on their parents after fledging, not reaching independence until the next breeding season. Under ideal conditions a ruppells vulture may live up to 50 years.

[mayasphotography]

Gyps rueppelli (Rüppell's vulture, Grifone di Rüppell)

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[textless]

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Rüppell’s Vulture | Jinbar Waterfall

By Marco Gaiotti of Genova, Italy

African Wildlife Photography Awards

[gamer-ghoul]

YAYYY ITS THE FIRST SATURDAY OF SEPTEMER YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANSS

YAYYYYYY I LOVE VULTURESSS DID YOU KNOW NEW WORLD VULTURES AUCH AS TURKEY VULTURES AND BLACK VULTURE DONT HAVE A SYRINX/VOCAL ORGAN SO THE ONLY SOUNDS THEY MAKE ARE GRUNTS AND HISSES AND THEY SOUND SO COOL I LOVE VULTURESSSSS