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Cathartidae
Cathartidae, known commonly as New World vultures or condors, are a family of birds of prey consisting of seven extant species in five genera. It includes five extant vultures and two extant condors found in the Americas. They are known as "New World" vultures to distinguish them from Old World vultures, with which the Cathartidae does not form a single clade despite the two being similar in appearance and behavior as a result of convergent evolution. Like other vultures, New World vultures are scavengers, having evolved to feed off of the carcasses of dead animals without any notable ill effects. Some species of New World vulture have a good sense of smell, whereas Old World vultures find carcasses exclusively by sight. Other adaptations shared by both Old and New World vultures include a bald head, devoid of feathers which helps prevent rotting matter from accumulating while feeding, and an extremely disease-resistant digestive system to protect against dangerous pathogens fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cathartes
The genus ''Cathartes'' includes medium-sized to large carrion-feeding birds in the New World vulture (Cathartidae) family. The three extant species currently classified in this genus occur widely in the Americas. There is one extinct species known from the Quaternary of Cuba. ''Cathartes'' is the Greek word καθαρτής, for "purifier," referring to these vultures' role as "cleansers" that "tidy up" decomposing corpses in nature. Taxonomy Description The first member of this genus to be formally described, the turkey vulture, was named by Linnaeus as ''Vultur aura'' in his ''Systema Naturae'' in 1758, but was eventually moved to the current genus which had been created by German zoologist Johann Illiger in 1811. The yellow-headed birds first described in 1845 by John Cassin were not split into two species until 1964. Systematics ''Cathartes'' is one of the five genera of New World vultures. The taxonomic placement of these vultures remains unclear.Remsen, J. V. J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vultures
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and South America and consist of seven identified species, all belonging to the Cathartidae family. A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald, unfeathered head. This bare skin is thought to keep the head clean when feeding, and also plays an important role in thermoregulation. Vultures have been observed to hunch their bodies and tuck in their heads in the cold, and open their wings and stretch their necks in the heat. They also urinate on themselves as a means of cooling their bodies. A group of vultures in flight is called a "kettle", while the term "committee" refers to a group of vultures resting on the ground or in trees. A group of vultures that are feeding is termed a "wake". Taxonomy Although New World vultures and Ol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and South America and consist of seven identified species, all belonging to the Cathartidae family. A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald, unfeathered head. This bare skin is thought to keep the head clean when feeding, and also plays an important role in thermoregulation. Vultures have been observed to hunch their bodies and tuck in their heads in the cold, and open their wings and stretch their necks in the heat. They also urinate on themselves as a means of cooling their bodies. A group of vultures in flight is called a "kettle", while the term "committee" refers to a group of vultures resting on the ground or in trees. A group of vultures that are feeding is termed a "wake". Taxonomy Although New World vulture ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Condor
Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua language, Quechua ''kuntur''. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere. One species, the Andean condor (''Vultur gryphus''), inhabits the Andean mountains. The other, the California condor (''Gymnogyps californianus''), is currently restricted to the Pacific Coast Ranges, western coastal mountains of the contiguous United States and Mexico, as well as the northern desert mountains of Arizona. Taxonomy Condors are part of the family Cathartidae, which contains the New World vultures, whereas the 15 species of Old World vultures are in the family Accipitridae, which also includes hawks, eagles, and Kite (bird), kites. The New World and Old World vultures evolved from different ancestors. They both are carrion-eaters and the two groups are similar in appearance due to convergent evolution. Description Condors are very large, broa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cathartiformes
Cathartiformes is a former order of scavenging birds which included the New World vultures and the now-extinct Teratornithidae. Unlike many Old World vultures, Canthartiformes lack talons and musculature in their feet suitable for seizing prey. In the past, they were considered to be a sister group to the storks of the order Ciconiiformes based on DNA–DNA hybridization and morphology. However, a 2021 analysis of mitochondrial genes suggested a stronger phylogenetic relationship between Cathartiformes and Accipitriformes, and they are now normally included within the Accipitriformes as the family Cathartidae. Description Anatomy Cathartiformes possess unique adaptations in their plumulaceous feathers that prevent the accumulation of bacteria and fungal spores, allowing them to feed on carrion without falling sick. These feather adaptations include a lack of aftershaft, a flattened shape, and a porous structure that allows air to flow through, preventing the retention ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birds Of Prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators have bird vision, keen eyesight for detecting prey from a distance or during flight, strong feet with sharp talon (anatomy), talons for grasping or killing prey, and powerful, curved beaks for tearing off flesh. Although predatory birds primarily hunt live prey, many species (such as fish eagles, vultures and condors) also scavenge and eat carrion. Although the term "bird of prey" could theoretically be taken to include all birds that actively hunt and eat other animals, ornithologists typically use the narrower definition followed in this page, excluding many piscivorous predators such as storks, Crane (bird), cranes, herons, gulls, skuas, penguins, and kingfishers, as well as many primarily insectivorous bir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Turkey Vulture
The turkey vulture (''Cathartes aura'') is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus '' Cathartes'' of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It inhabits a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts. Like all New World vultures, it is not closely related to the Old World vultures of Europe, Africa, and Asia. However, the two groups strongly resemble each other due to convergent evolution. The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by the early stages of decay in dead animals. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a syrinx—the vocal organ of birds—its only vocalizations are grun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coragyps
''Coragyps'' is a genus of New World vulture that contains the black vulture ''(Coragyps atratus)'' and two extinct relatives. The genus ''Coragyps'' was introduced in 1853 by the French naturalist Emmanuel Le Maout to accommodate the black vulture. The name combines the Ancient Greek ''korax'' meaning "raven" with ''gups'' meaning "vulture". One extinct species is the 'western' black vulture, '' Coragyps occidentalis'', a larger ancestral relative of the modern species which lived in North America during much of the Pleistocene epoch; however, genetic evidence indicates that ''C. occidentalis'' may not be a true species of its own, as it is nested within the modern black vulture. The other is the Cuban black vulture, '' Coragyps seductus'', known from the Pleistocene of Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gymnogyps
''Gymnogyps'' is a genus of New World vultures in the family Cathartidae. There are five known species in the genus, with only one being extant, the California condor. Fossil species *'' Gymnogyps amplus'' was first described by L. H. Miller in 1911 from a broken tarsometatarsus. The species is the only condor species found in the La Brea Tar Pits' Pit 10, which fossils date to "a Holocene radiocarbon age of 9,000 years." The smaller, modern California condor may have evolved from ''G. amplus''. *'' Gymnogyps howardae'' was described from the Late Pleistocene (Lujanian) asphalt deposits known as the Talara Tar Seeps, near Talara, northwestern Peru. It lived about 126,000-12,000 years ago. *'' Gymnogyps kofordi'' was described based on a right tarsometatarsus. *'' Gymnogyps varonai'' is known from fossils found in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene tar seep deposits in Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sarcoramphus
''Sarcoramphus'' is a genus of New World vulture that contains a single extant species, the king vulture ''(Sarcoramphus papa)''. Extinct members of the genus include the Kern vulture ('' Sarcoramphus kernense'') from the mid-Pliocene of North America, and '' Sarcoramphus fischeri'' from the Late Pleistocene of Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac .... A hypothetical species known as the painted vulture is also assigned to this genus, but no concrete proof of its existence has been found as of yet. References {{Authority control Cathartidae Bird genera Bird genera with one living species ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vultur
''Vultur'' is a genus of New World vulture that contains two species, an extant species, the Andean condor (''Vultur gryphus'') and the fossil species '' Vultur messii'' from the early Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Cathartidae Bird genera with one living species {{Accipitriformes-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ciconiiformes
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons and ibises, but those families have been moved to other orders. Storks dwell in many regions and tend to live in drier habitats than the closely related herons, spoonbills and ibises; they also lack the powder down that those groups use to clean off fish slime. Bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Many species are migratory. Most storks eat frogs, fish, insects, earthworms, small birds and small mammals. There are 20 living species of storks in six genera. Various terms are used to refer to groups of storks, two frequently used ones being a ''muster'' of storks and a ''phalanx'' of storks. Storks tend to use soaring, gliding flight, which conserves energy. Soaring requires thermal air currents. Ottomar Ansch� ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
