Happy International Vulture Awareness Day! The event held every year on the first Saturday in September showcases these often misunderstood birds. These avians are not birds of prey. Instead, they are scavengers that play an important role in the ecosystem, by eating the remains of dead organisms (called carrion), and keeping deadly pathogens from spreading. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, their stomachs have the same pH as battery acid, which allows them to sterilize an animal carcass and its immediate surroundings of bacteria that cause both botulism and anthrax.
The size, power, and unique colors of these powerful birds are showcased below. (Click to expand images to full screen.)
A turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) sits on a post at City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho. Turkey vultures are actually related to the stork, not to any birds of prey. CREDIT: NPS/Wallace Keck.An osprey (left) and black vulture (right) close together with their wings out along the shores of the Potomac River in Virginia. Black vultures have a wingspan of 4.5 to 5 feet. CREDIT: NPS/Christopher Vuille-Kowing. A Black Vulture perches on a branch in the picnic area at Great Falls Park in Virginia. Black vultures are more visual hunters than the turkey vultures. CREDIT: NPS/Christopher Vuille-Kowing. Turkey vultures spread their wings, while perched on a tree branch at Capulin Volcano National Monument in New Mexico. They can travel up to 200 miles in a single day. CREDIT: NPS Photo.A black vulture soars above Chimney Rock at Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland. CREDIT: NPS Photo.A turkey vulture in flight. While menacing looking, turkey vultures are scavengers that do not kill their prey. CREDIT: NPS/Christopher Vuille-Kowing.A black or raven vulture (Coragyps atratus) flies during a demonstration at a wildlife park in Germany. Without natural enemies during adulthood, raven vultures can live about 25.5 years. CREDIT: Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images. An 88-day-old bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) named Generl is shown before being released into the wild in Berchtesgaden National Park in Germany. The reintroduction of this bird species is part of an international project to reintroduce the bearded vulture to the Alps. CREDIT: Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images.Hundreds of griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) crowd the ground as others circle overhead, drawn to the “Muladar de Tiacuto,”a feeding site for scavenger birds near Nueno in northeastern Spain where carrion is distributed by the Ornithological Group of Huesca. CREDIT: Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images.Cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus) flying in Bolu, Turkiye on July 3, 2025. Bolu stands out as one of Turkiye’s most prominent cities in terms of wildlife with its rich forests, lush green meadows and water resources. Many species from mammals to reptiles survive, while various predatory bird species are also found in the city, which has large natural areas. CREDIT: (Photo by Alper Tuydes/Anadolu via Getty Images.
