Vultures may not be cute and cuddly, but they have an important job to do.
WORD HUNT!
In the article, find:
WORD HUNT!
In the article, find:
If there were a popularity contest for birds, turkey vultures probably wouldn’t win.
They aren’t adorable like ducklings. They don’t sing like songbirds. And they don’t have flashy feathers like peacocks.
In fact, just looking at a turkey vulture might make your skin crawl. The flesh on its face looks like raw, wrinkled meat. Its nostrils are so big, you can see right through them. And its favorite meal? Decomposing meat.
But don’t judge turkey vultures too quickly. Without them, your neighborhood and local park might look very different.
If there were a popularity contest for birds, turkey vultures wouldn’t win.
They aren’t cute like ducklings. They don’t sing like songbirds. And they don’t have colorful feathers like peacocks. In fact, looking at a turkey vulture might make your skin crawl. The flesh on its face looks like raw meat with wrinkles. Its nostrils are so big you can see right through them. And its favorite meal? Decomposing meat.
But don’t judge turkey vultures too quickly. Without them, your neighborhood might look very different.
Superclean
Turkey vultures are scavengers—they eat animals that are already dead. A group of these birds can turn a deer carcass into clean bones within 20 minutes. That helps keep the environment tidy and safe.
If scavengers like vultures weren’t around, animal remains would sit out and start festering. Decaying flesh is full of disease-causing germs. By consuming carrion, vultures keep those germs from spreading to other animals—and humans.
How come the vultures don’t get sick? Their stomachs have strong chemicals to fight off germs. And after a messy meal, the birds sit in the sun to bake any germs off their bodies. “They’re superclean animals,” says bird expert Heather Natola.
Turkey vultures are scavengers. This means they eat animals that are already dead. A group of these birds can feast on a deer carcass and leave only clean bones. And they can do this within 20 minutes. That helps keep the environment clean and safe.
Without scavengers, animal remains would just lie there and start festering. Decaying flesh is full of germs that cause diseases. When vultures eat carrion, they keep those germs from spreading to other animals—and to humans.
Why don’t the vultures get sick? Their stomachs have strong chemicals to fight off germs. And after a messy meal, the birds sit in the sun. This bakes any germs off their bodies. “They’re superclean animals,” says bird expert Heather Natola.
Important Birds
Cyril Ruoso/NaturePL.com
Turkey vultures live across the U.S. Have you ever seen one?
Turkey vultures are among 23 types of vultures in the world. Unfortunately, because of how vultures look and what they eat, many people are afraid of them. As a result, in some places, these important birds are often poisoned or hunted.
One of the best ways to keep vultures safe is simple: Tell others why we need them. And if there’s ever a popularity contest for birds at your school, give them your vote!
Turkey vultures are among the 23 types of vultures in the world. Unfortunately, many people are afraid of vultures. That’s because of how vultures look and what they eat. In some places, these important birds are often poisoned or hunted.
One of the best ways to keep vultures safe is simple. Tell others why we need them. And if there’s ever a popularity contest for birds at your school? Give them your vote!
Paragraph Power!
Write a paragraph to explain why vultures are important.
Paragraph Power!
Write a paragraph to explain why vultures are important.
This article was originally published in the October/November 2024 issue.
This article was originally published in the October/November 2024 issue.
