Of all the diversity of birds living on Earth, and there are about 9,000 species, there are special ones. For example, it is known about the fastest running birds and the birds that develop the highest speed in flight.
Birds that run the fastest
Birds that cannot fly, trying to adapt to life in wildlife, learned to run fast. Most of them live in the Southern Hemisphere. Fast running is facilitated by developed leg muscles and a powerful core.African ostrich
Of all the birds, the African ostrich develops the fastest speed when running. This bird is also a record holder for size, being the largest representative of birds. The speed that an African ostrich can easily maintain for a long run is 50 km/h. When accelerating, it runs at a speed of 80 km/h. The record for this huge bird is 97 km/h.Such rapid running is possible thanks to powerful, developed legs with two toes. The wings help the ostrich balance while running. This fast-running bird lost its ability to fly long ago.
Nandu
The rhea bird lives in the steppes of South America. Both in appearance and in its lifestyle, this bird is very similar to an ostrich. Nandu, sensing danger, is able to run at a speed of 60 km/h. Of the predators, only a puma or a jaguar can catch up with an adult bird. The second name for rhea is American ostrich. 
Ostrich Emu
Emus, like African ostriches and rheas, are excellent runners. Their maximum speed when running it is equal to 50 km/h. What’s surprising is that one-month-old emu chicks are already capable of running along with their mother, reaching a speed of 50 km/h. Emus are most common in Australia. IN ordinary life they prefer brisk walking at a speed of 4 to 7 km/h. 
Birds that fly the fastest
All birds, with a few exceptions, can fly, but their flight speed is very different. The birds that fly the fastest are the ones that use their wings “correctly.” The flight speed is also affected by the structure of the skeleton and the weight of the birds.Spine-tailed Swift
The speed of flight of the swift can only be compared with the peregrine falcon. A swift in horizontal flight can reach a speed of 160 km/h. Its weight is from 30 to 56 grams with a length of less than 18 cm. It is easy for a swift to escape pursuit, because it flies faster than its predatory counterparts. 
Hobby
The Hobby feeds on small birds and insects, hunting them during flight. This bird flies a little slower than the swift. Its speed is less than 160 km/h. He is a member of the falcon family. Habitat: almost all of Eurasia. 
Frigate
Another fast predator is the frigate. Its maximum speed is 153 km/h. He is able to float long time without flapping its wings. Frigates often take the prey of other predators by attacking them during flight. 
Grey-headed albatross
Having spread its huge wings, the span of which is about 3.5 meters, the grey-headed albatross soars above the expanses of water - another record holder for flight speed. It can fly at a speed of 130 km/h, quite slightly inferior to a frigate, and the albatross is capable of maintaining this speed for a long time.Gaga
The eider flies at a speed of 100 km/h. This bird finds food near water bodies. Powerful wings help the eider not only fly quickly, but also dive to a depth of about 20 meters. 
Post pigeon
From 85 to 100 km/h - this is the flight speed carrier pigeon. These birds are distinguished by their flight speed and incredible duration. After all, a pigeon can fly non-stop by mail for up to 16 hours straight. 
Birds that dive the deepest
The inhabitants of Antarctica, penguins, are capable of diving to depths of up to 200 meters. This is how they get tasty prey - fish. At the same time, birds that cannot fly are able to move underwater at a speed of 36 km/h. Ice water and they are not afraid of cold air.The birds are also distinguished by their unusual appearance. You can compare, for example, beaks. The site has a website about the most unusual beaks in the world, including animals with beaks.
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Birds are rightfully considered to be the fastest living creatures on the planet. Moving in the air, flyers can develop colossal speeds. Some species of birds can compete in aerial flight with the first created aircraft.
– a large waterfowl opens the ranking of the fastest birds on the planet. With a body length of 48 to 56 cm and a weight of up to 1.5 kg, the dive is capable of speeds in the air of up to 116 km/h. Its flight is distinguished by ease and longer duration than others from the duck family. In addition, the duck runs quite fast and swims well. This species is widespread in Central, Central Asia and Western Siberia. These birds prefer to settle next to fresh water bodies overgrown with reeds. The main food source for pochard is seeds. aquatic plants, shellfish, and also fish.
9. White-breasted American swift speed 124 km/h
With a horizontal flight speed of 124 km/h, it is ranked ninth in the ranking of the fastest birds in the world. These are small birds, similar in appearance to swallows, widespread in Europe, North Africa and Asia. They choose rocky areas for habitat, but can also exist in urban environments. The main food of the white-breasted American swift is insects, which it catches in flight. They spend most of their lives in the air and prefer not to build their own nests, but to settle in the dwellings of others - swifts and swallows.
8. Average merganser speed 129 km/h
Belongs to the duck family and is considered one of the fastest birds in the world. In flight, a duck can reach speeds of up to 129 km/h. The average merganser is quite large - its body length can reach half a meter and its weight is 1.3 kg. Like others from the duck family, this species can swim and dive well. The common merganser can be found in North America and Eurasia. For its habitat, it chooses flowing lakes and rivers, where it feeds on fish, frogs, insects and worms.
7. Spur goose speed 142 km/h
It is one of the fastest birds in the world, capable of flying at speeds of up to 142 km/h. This type belongs to the duck family and is quite large in size: it can reach 1 meter in length, and it gains up to 6 kg in body weight. Males are larger than females. The spur goose runs quite well and nimbly on the ground, and in its manner of movement it resembles a heron. It is common in South America, in particular in Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa and prefers to settle near freshwater bodies. These geese prefer aquatic and coastal plants, as well as insects and small fish as food.
6. Grey-headed albatross speed 147 km/h
With dimensions of 81 cm in length and a wingspan of 2 meters, it can reach speeds in airspace of up to 147 km/h. For a very long time he is able to remain in flight and covers enormous distances throughout his life, going around several times. Earth. Its habitat is the islands of the Southern Ocean. Grey-headed albatrosses feed mainly on squid, fish and shellfish. They can dive to depths of up to 7 m to get food.
5. Frigate speed 150 km/h
He is one of the fastest flyers in the world, reaching speeds of up to 150 km/h. Frigates prefer to spend most of their time hovering in the air without moving their wings. They have rather long and narrow wings, the span of which can reach 2.5 m. With a height of 1.1 m in length, their body weight can reach 1.5 kg. Skilled flyers move rather clumsily and cannot swim. Distinctive feature The male has an inflatable red throat pouch with which he lures the female. These birds have chosen tropical and subtropical islands as their habitat. They can be found in Australia and Polynesia. Since frigates themselves cannot swim, they hunt flying fish or take prey from aquatic birds.
4. Shoglock speed 160 km/h
– a small bird of prey of the falcon family is one of the fastest birds in the world in terms of flight speed. With a wingspan of 80 cm, the Hobby is capable of speeds of up to 160 km/h. Outwardly, it is similar to the peregrine falcon, but differs in size, which is 28-36 cm. The flapping of its wings is fast and maneuverable, alternating with gliding, taking the shape of a sickle. The flyer is distributed throughout the continent of Eurasia and prefers to settle in forests and forest-steppe zones. Since it is a predator, it feeds on small birds, as well as large insects– beetles, butterflies and dragonflies. Less commonly, mice and other small animals become its delicacy.
3. Needle-tailed swift speed 170 km/h
Unveils the top three fastest birds in the world. The swiftlet flyer, with a wingspan of 55 cm, is capable of gaining speed in horizontal flight of 170 km/h. Its body length reaches 22 cm, and its weight is about 150 grams. Spiny swifts can be found in South Asia, Far East and Siberia. For settlement, they choose groves and forests near bodies of water. The peculiarity of these flyers is that they never land on the ground.
2. Berkut speed 320 km/h
– one of the fastest flyers, capable of reaching speeds of up to 320 km/h in flight. This is a bird of prey that belongs to the hawk family. The body length of an eagle can reach 1 meter, and its weight ranges from 3 to 7 kg. Its wingspan varies between 2–2.4 m. In search of prey, hunters are able to soar high in the sky for a long time, while their activity remains minimal. Their movements in the air are light and maneuverable. Having noticed prey, the golden eagle quickly picks up speed and rushes towards the prey. The predator chooses birds, rodents, and hares as its victims. It may also prey on large, sick prey in the form of roe deer, deer, sheep and calves. The golden eagle's habitat is quite wide and includes most Holarctic, Alaska, Canada, Scotland, Caucasus, etc. It can also be found throughout the forest zone of Russia.
1. Sapsan speed 350 km/h
- the fastest flyer on planet Earth. The bird of prey belongs to the falcon family and has the widest habitat - all continents, excluding Antarctica. Its wingspan during flight is 1.1 m. When diving prey, the predator reaches speeds of up to 350 km/h, a distance of about 1 km per minute. The body of an adult peregrine falcon can reach half a meter in length, and the bird can gain up to 1 kg in weight. He loves to hunt medium-sized birds - pigeons, blackbirds, starlings and ducks. Sometimes small mammals can become its victims. For habitat, the hunter chooses places that are inaccessible to humans - most often the rocky shores of reservoirs.
Birds are warm-blooded, oviparous vertebrates, which are distinguished by the fact that their body is covered with feathers and their forelimbs are wings, with some exceptions. There are a lot of birds in the world - large and small, beautiful and not so beautiful, predators and herbivores, but today we will talk about the fastest of them. So, let's begin.
Sapsan (322 km/h)
We immediately invite you to get acquainted with the most fast bird in the world, which is the peregrine falcon, widespread on almost all continents of the planet, with the exception of Antarctica.
The peregrine falcon is not large in size - in this parameter it is similar to the most common crow. The head is black, the plumage is gray, and the abdomen is light gray. But this species of falcon is the fastest creature in the world. According to scientists' measurements, a bird in a diving flight can reach 322 kilometers per hour or 90 meters per second! And now the question is - how many cars do you know that can accelerate so quickly? We don’t think that every Ferrari or Porsche can drive at such a speed... However, in horizontal flight, a swift is faster than a falcon.
The peregrine falcon hunts very interestingly. Usually he plans in the sky, looking for a new victim. As soon as it finds a suitable “candidate”, it rises above it and then dives down at a right angle, developing incredibly fast speed and hits the victim with its paws pressed to the body. This blow is so strong that even a large game's head can fly off.
Black swift (160 km/h)
The second place is occupied by the swift. This is a small, ubiquitous bird whose weight varies on average from 50 to 150 grams. It is capable of reaching speeds above 160 km/h in the horizontal plane and, in this parameter, leaves behind even the Sapsa, which were discussed above.
True, now we are talking about the black swift. The plumage of this bird has a dark brown tint with metallic sheen, and if you look at it from above or below, it may seem that in front of you is a real swallow. Females and males are colored the same, but the chicks are a little lighter.
Today, the black swift can be found in central and northern Asia, as well as in central Europe. Interestingly, the black swift goes to India and Africa for the winter. In ordinary life, the bird is most often found in cities, less often it can be found in forests.
Several centuries ago, our descendants ate black swifts. They explained it very simply - bird meat is very tasty.
Grey-headed albatross (150 km/h)
Albatrosses have very interesting feature- their stomachs produce fat, which is stored in the upper compartment of the stomach. With its help, a bird can feed its chicks, spit at opponents, and in addition, fat helps satisfy hunger during long flights. By the way, they feed mainly on squid, but they are not averse to eating fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, and even eat carrion. According to experts, grey-headed albatrosses are capable of diving to depths of up to seven meters for prey. And of course, the bird is known for its high speed characteristics. Its maximum speed can reach 150 km/h.
The species is now considered particularly vulnerable as its numbers continue to decline. However, according to data for 2004, there were more than 250 thousand individuals in the world, and they slowly reproduced on islands in the ocean. A lot of albatrosses die because of people, but this is not about hunting - the birds often get entangled in fishing nets and die.
Eider (100 km/h)
Outwardly, the eider is very similar to a duck and a goose at the same time, but it has little relation to them, since it is a seabird. You can meet her on cold sea coasts North America, Europe and Eastern Siberia. Flies little, prefers everything free time located in the water near the shore.
The eider is a large duck, its weight can reach 3 kg. Females and males differ in appearance. The latter have a body predominantly white, but the plumage of the female is dominated by brown, black and brown shades.
This bird is famous for its extremely funny gait - very clumsy and funny. This is not surprising, since eiders try to come ashore only during the breeding season. But despite its appearance, it has excellent flight speed - up to 100 km/h! Although it's hard to believe, it's true. However, eiders are also excellent divers - they can dive to depths of up to 50 meters.
As for nutrition, the bird prefers to eat shellfish, much less often eating fish or crustaceans. It obtains mollusks at the bottom of a reservoir by freely diving. Can survive without air for about one minute. Interestingly, it swallows food whole, which is subsequently digested in the muscular stomach.
Fieldfare (70 km/h)
Also on our list is the fieldfare, a very common species of starling in Europe. It occurs, however, not only in European countries, but also in North Africa, Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Fieldfare are interesting because they create entire colonies, which usually include up to 50 pairs. They can be seen on the edges of forests, in meadows, and in parklands. Moreover, one part of the birds can lead a sedentary lifestyle, while the other is nomadic.
As for nutrition, fieldfare can eat both plant and animal foods. This type of bird causes considerable damage to farmers, “stealing” berries and fruits, so some of them shoot starlings, especially since this is not prohibited by law. By the way, their meat can be eaten.
Ostrich (70 km/h)
Last on our list is a flightless bird. Do such things exist, you ask? Of course, and you all are well aware of it - this is an ostrich! The bird’s “maximum speed” is about 70 km/h, but the mammal develops such a speed only in times of danger. Usually, the speed of movement rarely exceeds 50 kilometers. It is this creature that we will talk about in more detail.
The ostrich is the largest of all modern birds - its weight reaches 150 kg and its height is 2.5 meters. The body is dense, the neck is long, the head is small, the eyes are very large, and have thick eyelashes on the upper eyelid. The beak is large and wide. The wings are underdeveloped, but the hind limbs are powerful and long, allowing them to accelerate to high speeds. The plumage is curly and grows evenly throughout the body. At the same time, there is a bare area of the body on the chest, on which the creature rests when it lies on the ground. Females and males differ not only in size (the former are smaller), but also in color - males always look brighter than females.
This bird can be found in countries such as Africa, Iran, Arabia and Iraq. Previously, they could be seen in other states, but in the last few decades their population has declined significantly due to intensive hunting. Habitat: semi-deserts and open savannas. Ostriches usually live in families, which consists of one adult male, several females and their chicks. They often graze with other animals, such as antelope. By the way, they are the first to signal impending danger, since they have not only tall stature, but also excellent eyesight. If danger overtakes them, they escape by running, the maximum speed of which is about 70 km per hour. The step width is up to 4-5 meters.
As for food, ostriches usually prefer to eat plants, although they can eat insects and even small animals (rodents, reptiles). But young chicks eat only animal food. The bird has no teeth at all, so to grind it, it swallows stones (and sometimes everything that gets in its way, even rusty nails and pieces of iron). Ostriches love water, although they can go without it for a long time - they get all their life-giving moisture from plants.
The male forms a pair in his harem only with a dominant female. It is interesting that all females lay eggs in a common nesting hole, which is raked out by the male himself. After all the eggs have been laid, the dominant female demands that the remaining females leave and buries the eggs with sand, and moves her own to the middle (she distinguishes them by their texture). This is where her role ends - now “dad” must hatch the chicks. During the day, the eggs are often left unattended and heated by the sun. However, the majority of chicks still die from insufficient hatching. By the way, to break an egg, the chick spends at least one hour of time - the shell is too thick. Already on the second day, the chicks begin to travel with their father around the surrounding area in search of food. Average term The lifespan of an ostrich is about 65-75 years. You can see the photo of the bird just above.
- bipedal, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrates. Different birds are found in different geographical areas.
In the world of birds, the championship in speed is divided among at least four contenders: the peregrine falcon, the swift, the ground cuckoo and the ostrich. Each is the best in its field.
The fastest bird in the world is the peregrine falcon. The dimensions of one wing are from 30 to 40 cm, the wingspan reaches 120 cm. The total length of the bird is from 40 to 50 cm, its weight is up to 1200 g. Males are much smaller than females. It is worth noting that the peregrine falcon also has the sharpest eyesight in the world.
He is capable of achieving phenomenal speed. In a dive, its flight speed can reach 389 km/h or 90 m/s. Thanks to the development of such speed, he developed a unique hunting tactic. He simply falls from the sky like a “fighter,” knocking down his victim with a blow of his powerful and clawed paws. The impact on the victim is so strong that his body may simply burst or some part may come off.
But it is considered the best only in diving, and in the speed of flight in a horizontal position it is slightly inferior to the swift.
The black swift is considered the fastest. The weight of the black swift is 30-56 g, body length is 16-18 cm, wingspan is 42-48 cm.
The element of swifts is the sky 24 hours a day. And even for 2-3 years. 5-8 weeks after birth, the chicks fly out of the nests, and they will perch again only after 2-4 years. From the very first days in the sky, the fledglings of black swifts get their own food, and, most interestingly, sleep in the air. How do they do this? They rise to a height of 2000-3000 meters and fly in circles, waking up every 5 seconds to flap their wings.
Everything about this bird is designed for flight: long curved wings, sharp at the ends; streamlined body shape; relatively strong pectoral muscles; short neck and rather flat head. Along with this, the legs are very short, all 4 toes point forward, and sitting on the ground, the likelihood of taking off on its own is small.
The speed that this amazing bird develops exceeds 150 km/h, which allows it to be one of the fastest birds and this is the highest speed of horizontal flight among birds.
While in the air, without crouching even once, the swift flies about 500,000 km.
The fastest runner among all flying birds is the ground cuckoo, common in the southwestern United States. He runs at about 20 km/h, although sometimes 29 km/h has been recorded. However, it is almost impossible to keep up with this nimble bird, since it deftly (no worse than a rabbit) weaves as it runs and prefers high-speed bursts to marathon races. One day a cuckoo was racing a car at a speed of 42 km/h. There are cases when these birds easily escaped from dogs chasing them.
The ground cuckoo rarely flies, except perhaps when it wants to fly up to a high perch for a mating ritual or climb into a nest, usually located at a height of 3–5 m. The long tail serves as a balancer and rudder while running, and slightly open wings serve as stabilizers. After running a few meters, the bird stops, dashingly, with its tail raised and its crest fluffed, to look around in search of prey, after which another run follows. Having discovered something tasty: a lizard, snake, grasshopper, beetle, mouse, hamster or small bird, it overtakes the prey with a lightning-fast blow of its beak. Its rich diet is varied by scorpions, tarantulas, centipedes, and sometimes prickly pear fruits and seeds. The cuckoo is unpretentious in food and willingly eats everything it can swallow.
Of the flightless birds, the palm in speed belongs to! The weight of the individual reaches 160 kg, and the height is 2.7 meters.
Birds have excellent hearing, which is due to two ear canals in the back half of the head. If the ostrich is in danger, it reaches speeds of up to 60 km/h. The bird's legs are powerful and adapted not only for running. In battle, the ostrich raises its limb high and kicks its victim from top to bottom, causing lacerations with its claws.
They are peaceful, but during the breeding season, protecting future offspring, they become aggressive and dangerous. Males become especially angry.
Two species are fighting for the right to be called the fastest bird - the peregrine falcon and the swift. However, these two representatives of the bird world are considered the best in two different types speed. The peregrine falcon develops the highest speed in a dive, and the black swift leaves no chance for the falcon in horizontal flight.
Peregrine falcon
Cheetahs are found in India, Africa and Asia, but the activities of poachers are gradually causing these unique predators to become extinct; in many countries they have already completely disappeared.
Lion and other cats
Among predators, the lion ranks second in speed; this large representative of the cat family can accelerate to 80 kilometers per hour. Lions are so far behind due to the structure of their body: they are very massive and heavy, but powerful legs with well-developed muscles allow them to develop such high speed. Although male lions rarely use their ability, giving lionesses the right to pursue prey. Lions are good at using their ability to run quickly, they will attack the herd, forcing individuals to separate from the rest and driving them into a trap.
Tigers run almost as fast as lions, especially certain species - for example, the Amur tiger can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, while moving through the snow. The leopard is slightly slower, up to 75 kilometers per hour. Preferred in ambushes, the jaguar can move at speeds of about 70 kilometers per hour, but only over very short distances.
Even ordinary domestic cats can run fast, their maximum speed is 50 kilometers per hour.
Coyote
The coyote is the fastest predator except for cats. These animals belong to the canine family, are small and heavy, but they can accelerate up to 65 kilometers per hour, although most often they run at a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour. They use their speed to hunt hares, marmots, ground squirrels and other small mammals, and sometimes take pheasants.
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There are many species of birds in the world. Some of them amaze the mind with their beauty and uniqueness, others with their miniature size. There are also individuals that are not quite similar to birds. They are terrestrial, however, they reach the largest sizes. It's about about the African ostrich.
The African ostrich is considered the largest living bird. He is heavily built with a flat head and long neck. Has a straight beak flat shape. Also, this bird has the largest eyes of all land animals - their diameter reaches five centimeters.
This bird has underdeveloped pectoral muscles and completely undeveloped wings. Therefore, the ostrich is a bird that cannot fly. But she can run perfectly, reaching speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour.
The head, neck, hips and “pectoral callus” are free from plumage, which in the ostrich is curly and loose. Most often, males have mostly black plumage, but a light tail and wings. Female ostriches are smaller in size and are characterized by a more uniform color (usually a gray-brown base tone and off-white wings).
Ostriches settle in dry, treeless areas in Africa or the Middle East. They can be found in savanna or semi-desert, in the north or south of the equatorial forest zone. Previously, the African ostrich was actively hunted, which is why there are not many places left where ostriches live in the wild. The bird population is saved by numerous ostrich farms around the world.
Ostriches are, for the most part, herbivores. They feed on shoots, flowers, fruits and seeds. But these birds will also not refuse small insects, reptiles and rodents. Due to the lack of teeth, the ostrich swallows pieces of wood, tiny stones, and pieces of iron to grind food in its stomach.
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The absolute record holder for flight speed among all birds is the peregrine falcon, which is common on all continents of the planet except Antarctica. Depending on the intensity and characteristics of the color, ornithologists divide these falcons into 17 subspecies, but they all fly equally fast, outpacing even black swifts.
Instructions
According to studies of peregrine falcons in the wild and during their hunting, in a swift and diving flight, peregrine falcons can reach speeds of over 322 kilometers per hour or about 90 meters in one second. Usually, when hunting, a falcon soars in the sky, and after discovering prey, it rises directly above it and literally falls down at almost a right angle. Ornithologists also call such a hunt the phrase “bet.” Directly close to the victim, the peregrine falcon hits it tangentially with its paws folded and firmly pressed to the body. Moreover, the bird makes its main “bet” on the powerful claws of the hind toes, which can deliver a very strong blow, from which even large rodents Instant death may occur.
Sexual maturity in peregrine falcons occurs in the second year of life, and the formed pairs remain throughout the life of the birds. Falcons nest on rocks, near cliffs, and less often on roofs or ledges of residential buildings. In modern cities, of course, it is almost impossible to find such birds, but in the Middle Ages it was quite common to meet peregrine falcons in European cities.
This bird looks very proud and impressive. The body length is about 35-55 centimeters with a wingspan of almost one and a half meters. Unlike other bird families, female peregrine falcons are usually much larger than males. This feature characteristic of almost all falcons. The weight of a female is 900-1400 grams, and that of a male is 500-750 grams. They look the same, without any differences in appearance depending on the sex of the birds.
Over the past few centuries, the peregrine falcon has been considered a rather rare bird, which, although highly adaptable to new landscapes and weather conditions, still simply does not have time to adapt to rapid climate changes and the invasion of the city into the birds’ usual habitats. For the first time, ornithologists began to sound the alarm in the second half of the 19th century, when the situation was significantly complicated by the beginning of the massive use of harmful pesticides in agriculture. In addition to the extinction of some individuals, the hatching rate of chicks in others has significantly decreased, threatening whole view. Currently, many types of growing materials are already prohibited, and scientists continue to fight for the preservation of peregrine falcons in forests, including Russian ones.
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The peregrine falcon hunts both rodents and other medium-sized birds - pigeons, ducks, starlings and others. Less often, but still small mammals can be caught in its claws.
According to zoological classification, vultures are a heterogeneous group of birds of prey. The fact is that it is formed by representatives of two families: hawks (vultures of the Old World) and American vultures, belonging to the New World. Vultures belonging to the first family number 15 species of birds in their genus, while representatives of the New World number only 5 species. Scientists say that both families are not closely related to each other, but are very similar in appearance to each other. The closest relatives of Old World vultures are vultures and bearded vultures, and members of the American vulture family are related to condors.
Vultures can be called conditionally birds of prey. The fact is that these feathered creatures rarely feed on live meat (they attack living animals), but more and more on carrion (animal corpses). The attack of vultures on living creatures can only be observed during the painful hunger of these birds, but even at this time predators choose the weakest or sickest animals. In general, vultures' diet includes dead mammals, reptiles and fish, as well as the carcasses of other birds. It is curious that the menu of scavengers living in India also includes the bodies of people who, according to custom, are thrown into the Ganges River after death.
Appearance vultures, to put it mildly, leave much to be desired: they are unattractive birds. Their necks are long and completely naked, and their beaks are huge and hook-shaped. Vultures have large and wide wings, rounded at the edges. They have a very rigid stepped tail. The paws of these birds are strong, but the fingers are weak, equipped with short and blunt claws.
The smallest representative of this bird species is the American black cathart: its body length reaches no more than 60 cm, and its weight is no more than 1.9 kg. One of the largest vultures is currently considered the African long-eared vulture, which has a wingspan of up to 3 m and weighs up to 14 kg. The most famous scavengers are the long-eared, gray, brown and bald vultures, and their most noble relative is the crested vulture.
Vultures are agile and agile birds. They move on the ground short and with quick steps, but they fly well, but slowly. They can climb to great heights. These predators have excellent vision, so they can easily track down carrion even from great heights. However, these birds also have their drawbacks: they lack a little intelligence to be completely happy. In addition, these predators are imprudent, timid, irritable, hot-tempered, as well as arrogant and often very cowardly. However, this character does not prevent them from being the most ferocious of all birds of prey.
The life of vultures is mainly spent wandering: they fly from one place to another for most of the year, and then suddenly appear in large quantities where they had never been before. While some species of vultures try to avoid humans, others practically walk along the village and city streets. These birds build their nests on inaccessible cliffs or in dense forests. Their chicks hatch completely helpless. Baby vultures become ready for independent life only a few months after birth.
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