Many species of Old World vultures live throughout Africa and have a great impact on their surroundings. They vary from small birds with slender bills, such as hooded vultures, to large hunters with heavy bills, such as African white-backed vultures. These important adaptations help vultures survive and perform important roles in the environment. Dinner is Served Vultures feed on the carcasses of dead animals, sticking their heads deep into the body cavity to pick bits of food.
Some species also hunt small prey, such as insects, lizards, smaller birds and rodents.
Pieces of decaying meat and skin are less apt to stick to bare heads than to a thick mat of feathers. When vultures bask after meals, the heat of the sun dries any potentially bacteria-ridden bits of food that easily fall off, helping them remain healthy. Vultures have keen eyesight. It is believed they are able to spot a three-foot carcass from four miles away on the open plains. In some species, when an individual sees a carcass it begins to circle above it.