Who would win when the two kings of birds decide to fight?
Both the eagle and the vulture are prey birds, and both are powerful raptors.
These two bird species are primarily recognized for their hunting abilities.
The eagle is a big, largely-beaked and big-footed bird of prey that belongs to the Accipitridae family.
Vulture is part of 22 species of large carrion-eating birds of prey that mostly lives in the tropics and subtropics.
Size and Description
In appearance and flying, an eagle resembles a vulture, but it is completely feathered, and typically has crested head and muscular feet with enormous curled claws.
Eagles come in a variety of sizes. The little eagle is one of the smallest species, measuring 17.7 to 21.7 inches in length (45 – 55 cm).
Stellers’s sea eagle, on the other hand, measures 36 to 42 inches (91 to 106 cm) in length and has a wingspan of 72 to 96 inches (2 – 2.5 m).
The strongest of all the eagle senses is sight. The eyes are huge, taking up nearly half of the head. The vision of an eagle is about 5 times that of a human.
Eagle eyes are slanted 30 degrees out from the face’s center, giving them a wider field of view.
Vultures have large bodies, a hunched-back stance, and looser feathers than those of other birds.
They have a brown or black coloration all over their bodies, but sometimes they can have different colors as well. Some species have whiter underparts, as well as vivid red or deep blue heads and throats.
Many vultures have a bald head and, on rare occasions, a hairless throat.
This is supposed to assist them to keep their heads clean while feeding on animal, but it could also aid in body temperature regulation.
Vultures have a powerful, hooked beak that aids in the tearing apart of carcasses.
Their wings are huge in comparison to other birds, which aids them in soaring through the air in search of prey.
Turkey vultures are huge and stand about 27 inches (70 cm) tall and have a wingspan of about 5.6 feet (1.7 meters).
The Andean Condor and Cinereous Vulture are the largest eagles, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet (3.2 m).
Range and Environment
Various species of these birds can be found in different parts of the world.
With so many different species, it’s nearly difficult to be in any part of the world that isn’t Antarctica without spotting an Eagle.
North America, Central and South America, Eurasia, Australia and its surrounding islands, and Africa are all home to these birds.
Eagles can be found in almost every continent on the planet, except for the toughest polar regions.
They can be found in different regions all over the world, from the hottest tropical areas to the ice-cold Arctic regions.
They live in a wide range of environments, including dry woods, mountain & rain forests, grasslands, and deserts.
Some species even hunt in farmland and agricultural regions. Except for Antarctica and Australia, vultures can be found on every continent.
They are, however, at grave risk of extinction in some areas, thus this distribution may change in the near future.
The larger vulture species need an environment that permits them to view or smell carrion while flying. This means that they mainly prefer grasslands or savannas, while some do fly in open mountain areas.
In suburban environments, some smaller vulture species can be found.
Nutrition
All birds of prey, including eagles, are carnivores. They solely eat meat and refuse to eat any plant matter.
Their usual food is Rats, mice, rabbits, squirrels, fish, lizards, and even snakes.
Their incredible size helps them hunt larger prey than any other bird. Deer fawns, antelopes, raccoons, kinkajous, porcupines, cranes, seals, swans and even some smaller wild cats like bobcats.
Vultures virtually exclusively devour carrion. They feed in big flocks, frequently alongside other vulture species and other carrion eaters.
Despite the fact that there is a lot of fighting among these animals, they can strip the body of the largest mammal in just a few minutes.
Behavior
Behavior varies between different species, as it always does. Most eagle species are solitary hunters who prefer to hunt and live alone.
Many eagles are monogamous, which means they only have one partner for the rest of their lives. The birds frequently share territory with their mate so that they both protect it from other potential predators.
They have supervision and spend a large portion of their time soaring the skies and hunting for food.
Eagles build their nests in trees or on cliffs, and they are usually enormous.
The time it takes for an egg to hatch varies by region and the species itself.
Both parents incubate at periods, and both parents constantly look after the chicks.
The flying action of vultures is their most amazing feature. The sun heats the air as well as the Earth.
The air rises upward creating current that are known as “thermals”.
Vultures take advantage of the rising air by flying into it, expanding their wings, and flying to enormous heights without beating their wings.
They can locate dead bodies with their sharp eyesight once in the air, while many other species depend on their keen sense of smell.
Vultures are said to create life-long connections with only one other bird (monogamy).
Vultures reach sexual maturity around the age of 6 and have a life expectancy of 25 years.
What if a vulture clashed with an eagle? Who would come out on top?
Although the vulture is larger than the eagle, it cannot be compared to the eagle’s features and hunting abilities; you will notice that the eagle is superior. The eagle is an experienced hunter that can take down a variety of huge animals.
The eagle’s sharp and strong talons are used to kill huge animals such as deer, monkeys, and even foxes.
The eagle can use its powerful talons and experience on the vulture, killing it or severely injuring it.
Since the eagle can soar at high speeds, the vulture would have nowhere to flee. The golden eagle for example can glide at 320km/hr.
Vultures are social birds that flock together, whereas eagles fly solo.
Eagles on the other hand do not avoid flying in bad weather and will fly even if it’s windy and wet.
Vultures have amazing sniffing abilities, but some vultures, such as Black Vultures, use their vision to find food. Because they have excellent eyesight, they can find corpses from 4 to 5 miles away.
Eagles have some of the sharpest eyesight in the animal kingdom, and the ability to see UV light, their eyesight is far better than any other species of bird of prey.
While the eagle is the United States’ national bird and symbol, no other country has chosen the vulture to reflect its royal status. Can you figure out why? An eagle can overpower a vulture by using its tremendous hunting skills and strong legs.
Vultures can also be massacred by the eagle’s powerful talons, resulting in disabling injury or even instant death.
Vultures also are unable to flee from the eagle due to the vulture size.