The vulture, called snow, is one of the largest birds of prey in Asia. It settles high in the mountains and rarely catches the eye. The bird has many names and is found under them in the mythological legends of some peoples. What does a snow vulture look like? What lifestyle does he lead?
Vulture Bird
All vultures, or vultures, are large birds of prey and belong to the hawk family. They prefer warm climatic conditions and feed mainly on carrion. They are divided into two large groups - birds of the New and Old World, which are not too close genetically and have different habits, although they may be similar in appearance.
The snow vulture is also called the Himalayan. In Central Asia, it is also called Kumai, and in Tibet it is Akcaljir. It belongs to the birds of the Old World and its appearance is very similar to the white-headed vulture that lives in Europe. The snow neck is distinguished by a lighter color and the presence of feathers on a white collar around the neck, because in a vulture the collar consists of only down. In the past, birds were considered subspecies of the same species, but today they are considered different species.
Where does the snow vulture live?
This bird of prey prefers great heights and climbs far into the mountains. It lives on the ridges of the Himalayas and Central Asia, as well as the plateaus adjacent to them. There is a snow vulture on the Tien Shan in the region of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, inhabits the Pamir mountains, the Tibetan plateau in China, the mountains of Mongolia, the Sayan, Dzungarian and Zailiysky Alatau ranges.
Its habitual range in the west is limited to the peaks of Afghanistan, in the east - to the mountains of Bhutan. However, some vultures were spotted in Singapore, Cambodia, Burma, Bhutan, Thailand and Afghanistan.
The bird lives at altitudes of 1200-5000 meters above the border of the forest. She settles on the ledges of rocks, mountain niches close to the cliffs, building a nest of branches and grass.
Appearance
The snow vulture has a long neck, a large body and a powerful beak slightly curved down. This is one of the largest and heaviest birds in the Himalayas and throughout Asia. In height, it reaches 1.5 meters and weighs from 6 to 12 kilograms. The maximum wingspan of a bird is 3 meters.
The head and neck of the neck are covered with short, soft, white fluff. Around the neck there is a collar of long brownish or red feathers. The plumage on the body has a non-uniform beige-brown color: from above it is lighter, from top to bottom it is darker. The legs of the bird are gray and the long claws are black. The color of the chicks is slightly darker than the adult. Their neck and head are covered with beige fluff, and dark brown shades are characteristic of the body.
Vultures have a strong and strong beak, but rather weak legs, which is associated with the way of feeding. Birds are scavengers and do not hunt for prey, so they do not need powerful legs that can grab and carry large animals. This significantly distinguishes them from kites, eagles and many other representatives of hawks.
Nutrition
Snow vultures are vultures, so their main diet is dead animals. Birds eat a lot. Their goiter and stomach are designed for large volumes and can even eat large ungulates. Two or three kumai can eat a dead yak in just a couple of hours.
Vulture wings are not adapted for long and intense flights. They look out for their prey, hovering in the sky and picking up streams of ascending air. They live at high altitudes, but they can go down to foothill valleys to find food. The vultures vehemently guard the prey, not letting anyone but its "ones" in it until they are full. As a rule, other birds and many predators prefer not to mess with them and give way.
Eating dead flesh requires a special anatomy and internal adaptations of the body. The gastric juice of snow vultures has a high acidity to better digest bones and hard tissues, and a special microflora helps to cope with cadaveric bacteria. Short fluff on the head and neck of birds allows them to get less dirty with pus and blood. To disinfect their plumage, vultures often take sun baths, spreading their wings and tousing.
Role in nature and status
The way of eating vultures is quite exotic and even unpleasant. However, kumai are very important for the ecosystem and take on the role of orderlies. Eating corpses, they prevent the spread of harmful microorganisms that appear as a result of decay.
Today, birds are considered rare and are approaching vulnerable status. The main limiting factors for them are poaching and poisoning. Despite the fact that their stomach easily copes with cadaveric toxins, animals do not tolerate antibiotics and drugs that are contained in the bones and meat of some livestock. This was associated with the mass death of their related species of Indian vultures, which from the most common birds turned into rare ones.
Lifestyle
Kumai is a sedentary day bird that prefers a detached lifestyle. It does not make flights to other regions of the Earth, but in winter it can go a little lower than in summer and spring.
Snow vultures do not have colonial behavior, but can live next to other individuals of their species. Not far from each other, two to five pairs can get along who are not at odds with each other and can eat together.
Vultures build nests large and heavy, using them for several years. They build housing in natural depressions of rocks at an altitude of 100-300 meters from the ground. Reproduction of birds occurs in January. After that, the couple has only one greenish egg in the white dot, and after a month and a half the baby hatches from it. Both parents take turns incubating and caring for the offspring. Chicks grow quickly, and a couple of months after birth they become completely independent.