Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
On the Road to Bogol Manyo, Ethiopia
17 January 2014
In contrast to the other species of vulture we saw in Ethiopia, Egyptian Vulture seemed delicate and almost un-vulture like. In flight it flapped more noticeably than other vultures and soared effortlessly on flat, outstretched wings. Due to its small size it is always on the periphery of a kill waiting for an opportunity to dart in and snatch whatever scraps it can. It is an opportunistic feeder, frequenting garbage dumps where they exist, consuming organic waste, insects and sometimes the young of smaller birds. It is known for its habit of dropping rocks onto the eggs of bigger species to crack the shell and gain access to the contents.
It does look more delicate than the Black and Turkey Vultures of my Costa Rican trip - perhaps partly because it's pale instead of dark!
ReplyDeleteHi! Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIn our area, county type.....Småland we have a lot of lakes and lots of forrest. Thats typical. Its a large county. You can check it out on google maps. The nearest Town is Vetlanda.
Have a great day!
Majsan//
Wonderful photos, wonderful bird!
ReplyDeleteMarvelous photos of this big bird. Amazing !
ReplyDeleteBest regards, Synnöve
A brilliant Vulture, great photos.
ReplyDeleteGood to see one not in flight. See them every year in Menorca where there is a tiny population but they always sem to be in the air and quite a feat to see one grounded.
ReplyDeleteBack there in May.
Beautiful pictures of the Egyptian Vulture.
ReplyDeleteThe second is really beautiful, ready to fly away.
Greetings Irma
Congrats, especially for the second photo!
ReplyDeleteThat is one vulture I can see often in the Pyrenees!
Well done!
Gee ..... what a beautiful bird!
ReplyDeleteThat second picture is really a jewel David!
Really beautiful to see!