The order Accipitriformes contains the diurnal (active during the day) birds of prey: hawks, goshawks, eagles, kites, vultures, ospreys, secretary birds. These birds have sometimes been considered part of the Falconiformes which contains the falcons, but DNA evidence indicates the orders should be separate.

The Accipitridae family contains the hawks, goshawks, eagles, kites, Old World vultures. Subfamilies are often used to group related species, but the subfamiles for much of Accipitridae are in flux. They will be used here if there is agreement for their members.

Old World vultures are not closely related to New World vultures. They resemble each other because of convergent evolution. Vultures in general feed on dead animals. They tend to have bald heads to minimize the feathers that get contaminated from carrion. Old World Vulture do not have a good sense of smell and thus locate their meals by sight.


Genus Aegypius - 1 species

Vulture, Monk  aka Eurasian Black Vulture aka Cinereous Vulture  Aegypius monachus  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Julius Rückert - Darmstadt Vivarium, Darmstadt, Germany 
    2) Mistvan - ZOO Olomouc, Czech Republic 3) Alastair Rae



Genus Gypaetus - 1 species

Vulture, Bearded   aka  Lammergeier  Gypaetus barbatus     Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Richard Bartz



Genus Gyps

Vulture, Eurasian Griffon aka Griffon Vulture  Gyps fulvus  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Danielss - Cental Zoo - Nepal  2) Ingrid Taylor - Oakland Zoo, California



Genus Neophron  - 1 species

Vulture, Egyptian  Neophron percnopterus  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Béotien lambda   2) Norbert Potensky