They may not be the prettiest bird flapping about, but the humble vultures plays an incredibly important role in their ecosystem, performing waster removal, disease reduction and recycling nutrients back into the food chain.

Sadly though, vultures are in trouble, having seen a 90% reduction in their population in recent years. To find out more about these fascinating birds, and learn what's killing them all in one handy 30 minute episode.

To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Would you like some bird art in your life? Then visit Seni Illustration for some bespoke bird art: https://www.seniillustrations.com/

Notes:

• Old World Vultures: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_World_vulture
• New World Vultures: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_vulture
• Convergent evolution: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_evolution
• Vulturine Guineafowl: https://ebird.org/species/vulgui1
• Vulturine Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/vulpar1
• Highest flying bird: https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/v086n04/p0461-p0462.pdf
• Why do vultures have bald heads?: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306456508000107
• Circling vultures: https://www.audubon.org/news/a-closer-look-how-vultures-lazily-circle-air-1
• Vulture population collapse: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/hooded-vultures-extinction-africa-mass-poisoning