Knowra New World vulture New World vulture A member of the bird family Cathartidae, native to the Americas. The family includes condors and smaller scavenging vultures such as the turkey vulture.
Carrion : The decaying flesh of dead animals, used as food by scavengers. It is the principal food that New World vultures locate and consume.
Cathartidae : The family of New World vultures, including condors and several vulture genera. It is the taxonomic family that defines New World vultures.
Old World vulture : A vulture in the family Accipitridae, native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Old World vultures resemble Cathartidae in appearance and diet but are not close relatives.
Scavenger : An organism that feeds on dead or decaying organic matter. New World vultures are specialized vertebrate scavengers.
Bird evolution : The evolutionary history of birds from theropod dinosaurs to modern species. Cathartidae’s lineage is part of the broader diversification of modern birds.
Olfaction in birds : The sense of smell in birds, which varies greatly among species. Turkey vultures use smell to locate hidden carcasses, unlike many other scavenging birds.
Accipitridae : A bird family that includes eagles, hawks, kites, and Old World vultures. Old World vultures belong here, not in Cathartidae.
Condor : A large New World vulture, including the Andean condor and California condor. Condors are the largest-bodied members of Cathartidae.
Ecosystem services : Benefits that ecosystems provide to people and other organisms. Vultures remove carcasses and can reduce opportunities for disease transmission.
New World vulture evolution : The evolutionary history and diversification of the bird family Cathartidae. It traces how condors and other New World vultures emerged as a distinct lineage.
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