Anup Shah / White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) and Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) feeding from the carcass of a Cape buffalo (Cyncerus caffer) covered with flies - wide angle perspective. Masai Mara...

Anup Shah / White-backed vultures (Gyps africanus) feeding from the carcass of a Cape buffalo (Cyncerus caffer) - wide angle perspective. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Nick Gordon / Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) scavenging on rubbish tip, Brazil

Anup Shah / Spotted hyaena {Crocuta crocuta} chasing vulture from carcass. Maasai Mara, Kenya.

Anup Shah / Spotted hyaena and White backed vulture dispute at carcass, Masai Mara, Kenya

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / European Black vulture (Aegypius monachus) feeding on dead chicken, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Muñoz / Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) and European black vultures (Aegypius monachus) in mass flock feed on carcass, Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, a rewilding Europe area, Salamanca, Castilla y Le...

David Pattyn / Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) scavenging a dead Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) floating in the Rio Cuiaba, Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil.

David Pattyn / Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) feeding on a dead cow, Pantanal, Brazil, August

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) near sheep carcass, Faia Brava Reserve, Coa valley, Portugal, May

David Pattyn / Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) scavenging dead fish on beach, Marao peninsula, Bahia, Brazil

Charlie Summers / Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) cautiously approaches an unseen carcass, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa, March

Charlie Summers / Ruppell's Griffon Vultures (Gyps rueppellii), on zebra carcass and in far left with two White-backed Vultures (Gyps africanus) at the front and back. Serengeti, Tanzania.

Charlie Summers / Ruppell's Griffon Vulture (Gyps rueppellii) on Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) carcass, displaying dominance behaviour, Serengeti, Tanzania.

Loic Poidevin / Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) standing over dead Canada goose (Anser canadensis) Quebec, Canada, October

Diane McAllister / Ruppell's griffon vultures (Gyps rueppellii) and one White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) taking turns to feed on a zebra carcass, Tanzania, Africa.

Roy Mangersnes / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in flight carrying sheep's leg bone in beak, Northern Spain, February

Roy Mangersnes / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) in fight, carrying a sheep's leg, Northern Spain, February

Roy Mangersnes / Juvenile Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) flying away with a sheep's leg, Northern Spain, February

Bert Willaert / Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) portrait. Ghana, October.

Bert Willaert / Hooded Vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) feeding on dead dog. Ghana, October.

Bert Willaert / Two Hooded Vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus). Ghana, October.

Thomas Rabeil / Lappet Faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) and Brown-necked Raven (Corvus ruficolis) at a animal skeleton. Dilia Achetinamou, Termit Tin Toumma National Park, Sahelo-Saharan Biome, Niger.

Robin Chittenden / Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) sitting in tree, The Gambia January

Robin Chittenden / Hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) at tourist attraction, The Gambia, January 2011

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) feeding on Wildebeest carcass. Masai Mara, Kenya, September.

Laurent Geslin / Ruppell's griffon vulture (Gyps rueppelli) perched on carcas of dead Wildebeest in river, Masai Mara reserve, Kenya

Laurent Geslin / Ruppell's griffon vultures (Gyps rueppelli) feeding on carcass, Masai Mara reserve, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) flying, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Brent Stephenson / Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) perched on a dead branch. Kruger National Park, South Africa, January.

Anup Shah / Marabou storks (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) and White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) feeding on the carcass of an elephant - wide angle perspective. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. September

John Cancalosi / Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) feeding on jackrabbit carcass. Sonoran desert, Arizona, USA, October 2010

John Cancalosi / Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) feeding on jackrabbit carcass. Sonoran desert, Arizona, USA, October 2010

Anup Shah / White backed vultures (Gyps africanus) gathering in the early morning. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, August 2009

Anup Shah / Hooded vulture adult portrait (Necrosyrtes moachus) Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. February

Nick Garbutt / Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) standing on a dead bloated Yacare Caiman (Caiman yacare) floating down the Cuiaba River, Northern Pantanal, Matto Grosso State, Brazil. September

John Cancalosi / Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) feeding on jackrabbit carcass, Sonoran desert, Arizona, USA

John Cancalosi / Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) feeding on jackrabbit carcass, Sonoran desert, Arizona, USA

John Cancalosi / Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) feeding on jackrabbit carcass, Sonoran desert, Arizona, USA

Laurent Geslin / Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) close-up in flight, Chobe National Park, Khawai, Botswana,

Christophe Courteau / Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) feeding on dead Caiman (Crocodilus caiman) in river, Pantanal, Brazil, South America, July

Guy Edwardes / Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus pileatus) perched on tree stump, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Africa, February

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Lappet faced vulture {Torgos tracheliotus} two at food, Oman, December

Dave Watts / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) perched on ground in snow, feeding on bone, Pyrenees, France

Dave Watts / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) perched on ground in snow, feeding on bone, Pyrenees, France

Dave Watts / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) perched on ground in snow, feeding on bone, with Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in the background, Pyrenees, France Photographed in French Pyrenees

Piper Mackay / Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) standing on dead, bloated Caiman (Cayman jacare) in Three Brothers river, Pantanal, Brazil

Piper Mackay / Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) standing on dead, bloated Caiman (Cayman jacare) in Three Brothers river, Pantanal, Brazil

Piper Mackay / Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) standing on dead, bloated Caiman (Cayman jacare) in Three Brothers river, Pantanal, Brazil

Patricio Robles Gil / Ruppell's vulture (Gyps rueppellii) aggressive posture, Simien Mountains NP, Ethiopia.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Black vultures (Coragyps atratus) feeding on carion, near Parnaaba town, Piaua­ State, Northeastern Brazil.

Bernard Castelein / House Crow (Corvus splendens) feeding on the body of a dead Egyptian Vulture, Rajasthan, India

Warwick Sloss / Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) Katavi National Park, Tanzania.

Warwick Sloss / Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) feeding on fresh Lion dung, Katavi National Park, Tanzania.

Pete Oxford / Long billed vultures (Gyps indicus) and a Wild dog feeding on a Buffalo carcass, Rajasthan, India, critically endangered

Mike Wilkes / Turkey vulture {Cathartes aura} feeding on Raccoon carcass, Florida, USA

Jose B. Ruiz / European black vulture (Aegypius monachus) feeding on grassland, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Elander / Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) feeding on carcass, Serra de Beumort, Gerri de la Sal, Catalonia, Spain, November 2008 Wild Wonders kids book.

Jasper Doest / Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) near carcass, Pyrenees, Spain

Mary McDonald / Hooded Vulture {Necrosyrtes monachus} flying, Masai Mara GR, Kenya.

Suzi Eszterhas / White-backed Vulture {Gyps africanus} feeding on wildebeest carcasses in Mara River, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / White-backed Vulture {Gyps africanus} on wildebeest carcasses in Mara River, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / White-backed Vulture {Gyps africanus} on wildebeest carcasses in Mara River, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / Ruppell's Griffon Vultures {Gyps rueppellii} feeding on wildebeest carcasses in Mara River, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / Ruppell's Griffon Vultures {Gyps rueppellii} feeding on wildebeest carcasses in Mara River, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / Hooded Vulture {Necrosyrtes monachus} flying, Masai Mara Triangle, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / Hooded Vulture {Necrosyrtes monachus} flying, Masai Mara Triangle, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / Hooded Vulture {Necrosyrtes monachus} Masai Mara Triangle, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / Egyptian Vulture {Neophron percnopterus} feeding on wildebeest carcass, Masai Mara Triangle, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / Egyptian Vulture {Neophron percnopterus} feeding on wildebeest carcass, Masai Mara Triangle, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / Black-backed Jackal {Canis mesomelas} adult with freshly killed Thomson's gazelle, watched by Ruppell's vultures {Gyps ruepellii}, Masai Mara Triangle, Kenya

Jose B. Ruiz / Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) feeding on carrion, Spain

Rod Williams / Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus), Captive, found Sub-Saharan Africa

Pete Oxford / White headed vulture {Trigonoceps occipitalis} feeding on hyaena carcass, Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa

Jose B. Ruiz / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) One year old juvenile feeding on prey, sequence 3/4. Huesca, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) One year old juvenile feeding on prey, sequence 4/4, Huesca, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) One year old juvenile feeding on prey, sequence 1/4, Huesca, Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) One year old juvenile feeding on prey, sequence 2/4, Huesca, Spain

Suzi Eszterhas / Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) portrait, Masai Mara, Kenya

Tony Heald / Group of White backed vultures feeding {Gyps africanus} with approaching Lappet faced vulture, Kruger NP, South Africa

Anup Shah / Golden jackal {Canis aureus} defending carcass of Thomson's gazelle from White backed vultures, Ngorongoro conservation area, Tanzania

Anup Shah / Golden jackal {Canis aureus} and vultures feeding on carcass of Thomson's gazelle, Ngorongoro conservation area, Tanzania

John Cancalosi / Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) on Collared peccary / Javelina (Tayassu tajacu) carcass, USA

Jabruson / Ruppell's griffon vulture (Gyps rueppelli) scavenging at Kob carcass, Rwindi Plain, Democratic Republic of Congo

Jabruson / White backed vultures (Gyps africanus) at Kob carcass, Rwindi Plain, Democratic Republic of Congo

Anup Shah / White backed vultures {Gyps africanus} and Jackal at Zebra kiill, Serengeti NP, Tanzania

Anup Shah / White backed vultures {Gyps africanus} squabbling over carcass, Serengeti NP, Tanzania

Pete Oxford / Long billed vultures (Gyps indicus) and feral dog scavenging dead buffalo, Rajasthan, India

Jose B. Ruiz / Sub adult Griffon vulture with head inside goat carcass carrion (Gyps fulvus) Monfrague NP, Spain

John Cancalosi / Griffon vulture fighting over deer carcass {Gyps fulvus} Spain

Tony Heald / Whitebacked vultures (Gyps africanus) feeding on Buffalo carcass, Kruger NP, South Africa

Anup Shah / Spotted hyena {Crocuta crocuta} scavenging from remains of kill, along with Jackal and vulture, Masai Mara, Kenya

Ashok Jain / House crows (Corvus splendens) & Indian white backed vulture feed on cattle carcass, India

Pete Oxford / White Headed Vulture {Trigonoceps occipitalis} on Hyena carcass, Okavango Delta, Botswana.

Suzi Eszterhas / White-backed Vulture {Gyps africanus} and Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) feeding on Hippo carcass, Masai Mara Reserve, Kenya

Pete Oxford / Black backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and vulture at elephant carcass, Savuti, Botswana