Cathartes emsliei (SciiFii)

Emslie's vulture (Cathartes emsliei), known as the red-crowned turkey vulture and the Cuban vulture, is a species of vulture in the family Cathartidae. that originally lived from western Cuba during the Pleistocene and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced to Cuba to help boost biodiversity. It is significantly smaller than the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), growing to be about the size of the American black vulture (Coragyps atratus). Emslie's vulture, like the turkey vultures, is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a syrinx—the vocal organ of birds—its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets. Each year it generally raises two chicks, which it feeds by regurgitation. It has very few natural predators. The conservation status of Emslie's vulture is Vulnerable due to some habitat loss, however, thanks to conservationists, Emslie's vulture is a protected species and its habitat is also protected, so the species is making a comeback.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii