A relatively small vulture with the remarkable habit of using tools to break eggs.

Statistics
Body length: 66cm

Physical description
The Egyptian vulture is an unmistakable creamy white or buff vulture with a distinctive wedge-shaped white tail and black flight feathers, a bare yellow face and a slender bill.

Distribution
It is found in all the more arid parts of Africa, from Morocco to Egypt and south to Senegal, Sudan, Kenya and Northern Tanzania. This vulture also lives in parts of Europe and Asia.

Habitat
This vulture are found in deserts, semi-deserts and more arid savannahs, and on inland cliffs and open plains. In parts of North Africa they frequent the outskirts of settlements.

Diet
They feed on carrion and bird’s eggs. In towns they also consume rubbish and human excrement.

Behaviour
The Egyptian vulture is relatively small, which helps it get to carcasses and carrion before other larger vultures. This is because it is less dependent open thermal air currents when flying. Egyptian vultures like to roost in caves in cliffs if available and can be numerous there. They have developed the ability to break ostrich eggs using rocks.. Near the Equator they stay in one area, but European and most African birds are migratory.

Reproduction
They nest on cliffs and buildings (never in trees), laying 1-3 eggs at intervals - resulting in a large size difference between the young. No sibling rivalry has been recorded, but it's usual for just one chick to survive from each brood.

Voice
Silent birds although they sometimes utter a hissing noise when at carrion.