Common Name: Lappet-faced Vulture
Scientific Name: Torgos tracheliotos
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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Torgos
Species: T. tracheliotos
The lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) is one of the most aggressive African bird. It has a bald head, it’s bill is very large and powerful. It’s feet are weak compared to other birds, because their feet are designed more for running. The vultures eyesight is very sharp, it can spot a dead animal from a mile away.
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The lappet-faced is the largest winged vulture, they have broad wings held with the front edges, that are held parallel and slightly pointed, they have a wingspan from 2.5 to 2.9 m (8.2 to 9.5 ft); also the wing chord is 71.5 to 82.5 cm (28.1 to 32.5 in). The lappet-faced Vulture’s neck and face is naked, it doesn’t have any feathers, but on the side of the neck they have short brown feathers. The lappet-faced Vulture has blackish brownish feathers that have strongly contrasting white thigh feathers. The females usually weigh 23 to 30 lbs, and males weigh 14 to 20 lbs, their tails are 33 to 36 cm (37 to 45 in) and the bill is about 10 cm long. Their bills can tear open the hides of Africa’s largest animal
They prefer areas with not much grass cover and are usually found in undisturbed open country, with a scattering of trees. They live in the dry savannah, arid plains, open mountain slopes, thorn bushes, deserts with scattered trees in the valley. They can wander into denser habitats and also into human habituated areas. These vultures can be found in elevation from sea-level to 4,500 m (14,800 ft). Their range is the Central, southern Africa, and the Southeast, their population is decreasing, and their conservation status is threatened.
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These vultures prefer smaller dead animals such as hares, gazelles, and more, sometimes they also feed on insects and small birds, as you can see they are scavengers. They usually feed on things like antelope, wildebeest, flamingo, and common ostrich. Some of their predators are the African wild cat, the Secretary bird, and the pied crow. They sometimes eat road kill if they come in human habituated areas.
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Their eggs are broad and oval, which have dull white and brown blotches and spots. The chicks eat regurgitated food. The lappet-faced Vulture is named after it’s loose skin (lappets). Their tongue helps them grasp and move chunks of meat towards the mouth, the bill also helps rip the carrion. Also their broad wings help them glide in the air for long periods of time.
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Author: Rida S.
Published: 2/20/14
Sources: http://www.vulture-territory.com/lappet.html
http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/accipitridae/aegypius_tracheliotos.htm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lappet-faced_Vulture
http://www.dallaszooed.com/animalfacts/animalfacts.php?id=27&ci=6&li=9&name=JKL.
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Book Source: Vultures---Author: Macken JoAnn---Published: 2005
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Picture Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2012-lappet-faced-vulture.jpg
Picture By: Yathin sk