International Vulture Awareness Day
Today we celebrate vultures on this International Vulture Awareness Day, September 2, 2017. According to http://www.vultureday.org/: “Vultures are an ecologically vital group of birds that face a range of threats in many areas that they occur. Populations of many species are under pressure and some species are facing extinction.” I am honoring this day with the Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture. This important member of the African cleanup crew was upgraded to critically endangered in 2015. These large scavengers have been severely impacted by habitat loss, decline in ungulate populations, trade hunting, persecution and poisoning. The griffon vulture is unique in that it can fly at surprising altitudes up to 37,000 feet, traveling up to 90 miles in the search for remains. Please see the above website for more information about vulture awareness day. Photographed in Ndutu, Tanzania. February 4, 2017
