{"id":4023,"date":"2025-02-19T13:20:43","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T13:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/de\/?p=4023"},"modified":"2025-05-20T14:25:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T13:25:56","slug":"vulture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/vulture","title":{"rendered":"Vultures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a scavenger, its prey doesn\u2019t run away. It simply needs to make sure it arrives in time to get its share, though the order in which guests serve themselves at the carcass feast is largely established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whenever the Hebrew word nesher <\/em>or the Greek aetos<\/em> is associated with speed and ferocity, we can be certain it’s not referring to the vulture, but to the eagle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It is difficult to say which of today\u2019s vulture species are referred to in the Bible \u2013 several candidates are possible. The Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus<\/em>) is widespread from Portugal to India and is native to Israel. The only candidate with a true bald head is the Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos<\/em>), once present until modern times but now nearly extinct in the Middle East. The Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus<\/em>) is now only a winter visitor in Israel. All three are larger than the golden eagle, have similar flight profiles, and share the typical vulture behavior described here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large birds of prey nest high in inaccessible mountain eyries (Job 39:27-28). Among craggy cliffs, nothing threatens them. Before the advent of mountaineering equipment and flying devices (like helicopters or drones), humans couldn\u2019t reach them there (and they had no animal predators to fear). A comfortable situation! Yet, God uses this image in messages of judgment, warning self-assured people and nations that no one escapes His reach: \u201cWoe to him who builds his house unjustly and sets his nest on high to be safe from harm!\u201d (Hab 2:9; cf. Jer 49:16; Ob 1:4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Griffon vultures don\u2019t care to camouflage their nesting places. The white streaks of excrement (known as \u201cnest droppings\u201d) that cover the rocks below glow in the sun. They nest in such remote places that they have nothing to fear.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Though safe, such nesting sites offer little food in the wilderness. But vultures spot food from great distances thanks to phenomenal eyesight: \u201cFrom there it spies out food; its eyes look far and wide\u201d (Job 39:29). They can see eight times more sharply than humans, detecting a mouse-sized animal from three kilometers high \u2013 something we might barely make out at 100 meters. If our eyes had that resolution, we could read newspaper text from 150 meters away. Raptors have at least five times more photoreceptors on a retina half the size of ours, see more vivid colors (with four types of cones to our three), and have up to five colored oil droplets per cone (plus UV filters in some species). Their eyes can process up to 180 images per second (humans: 10\u201370), allowing fast reaction times. Unlike some New World vultures that use smell, Old World vultures rely entirely on sight \u2013 and it serves them well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A defining feature of vultures is the appearance of large flocks when a carcass is discovered. Jesus emphasized the certainty of judgment by saying: \u201cThis will happen as surely as vultures gather where there is a carcass\u201d (Mat 24:28; cf. Lk 17:37; Job 39:30). But how do they appear so quickly after death \u2013 like clockwork?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As if from nowhere, they appear the moment a large creature hits the ground. The remarkable reliability with which the vulture community gathers for the feast has long fascinated observers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Their secret lies in a brilliant strategy: individuals soar high and monitor vast areas, while also watching fellow vultures circling miles away. As soon as one shifts from scanning to descending, others follow, drawing in more from even farther away. In this way, the entire regional vulture community gathers rapidly for the feast \u2013 God\u2019s provision for them and their young in the desolate wilderness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The German name “Ohrengeier” (ear vulture) stems from an early misunderstanding. The Greeks called Torgos tracheliotus<\/em> \u201cswollen ear,\u201d believing the skin folds on the sides of its head were ears\u2014an error, although the ear canal does lie beneath.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vultures are not picky eaters. They consume old butcher waste and decomposed remains left by predators. Their stomach acids can break down toxins fatal to other animals. To humans, these sights and smells are revolting \u2013 especially as vultures, without sentiment, also consume human remains: \u201cAn eye that mocks a father and scorns an aged mother \u2013 may it be eaten by the young vultures\u201d (Prov 30:17). No wonder vultures have a bad reputation. No Bible translator would ascribe a vulture face to the four living creatures before God\u2019s throne (Ezek 1:10; 10:14; Rev 4:7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On 14 April 2013, a 53-year-old female mountaineer fell 300 metres in the western Pyrenees. The mountain rescue team from Oloron arrived two hours later by helicopter to rescue her, but the griffon vultures were quicker – apart from a few bones, there was nothing left of the body. No wonder the \u2018birds of death\u2019 are scary to most people.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But associating hygiene with nature is a modern concept. Surprisingly, in ancient cultures like Egypt and Babylon, the vulture symbolized purity. It\u2019s not entirely unjustified: after a feast, the area is left remarkably clean! Despite appearing to vanish into the carcass, vultures barely get dirty. Their feathers repel grime, and their head and neck are sparsely feathered or bald. This external trait is referenced in Micah: \u201c…make your baldness as bald as the vulture\u2019s\u201d (Mic 1:16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After feeding, vultures engage in thorough cleaning. They love to bathe and travel great distances to reach their \u201cwellness pools\u201d \u2013 clear rock basins where they splash about. Then they spread their wings and sun-dry their gleaming feathers. One doesn\u2019t need to venture into the wild to observe these proud, majestic creatures \u2013 many zoos offer close encounters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus<\/em>) is smaller than the previously mentioned species and may be linked to the term dajja<\/em>. Its behavior fits: it gathers outside of meals, lives in ruins (Isa 34:15), and is often seen tossing stones at ostrich eggs to crack them open and feast on the contents. Ostrich eggshells are as thick as porcelain cups, so the vulture must find suitable stones \u2013 sometimes weighing up to 500 grams \u2013 from far away. If ostriches are nesting nearby, this bird thrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus<\/em>) knows how to help itself when it wants to sip an ostrich egg. \u201cTool use\u201d might sound like an overstatement here, but it\u2019s a fact that it chooses the stones it uses with great care.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus<\/em>) deserves mention too. Named peres<\/em> in Hebrew, meaning \u201cbreaker,\u201d its diet is specialized: it eats bones. It swallows bones up to 18 cm long and 3 cm thick whole. Larger bones, like vertebrae or femurs, are dropped repeatedly onto a flat rock until they shatter. It’s laborious work \u2013 but within two days, it can ingest an entire cow\u2019s spine. This behavior has been widely observed. Its various names \u2013 \u201cossifrage\u201d (English), \u201cquebrantahuesos\u201d (Spanish), \u201cquebra-ossos\u201d (Portuguese), \u201cBeinbrecher\u201d (German) \u2013 all reflect this trait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though bones don\u2019t appear nutritious, bone marrow is among the richest animal nutrients. The bearded vulture gets 80% of its food from it. Sadly, it\u2019s now rarely seen in Israel. Tortoises are also victims of its bone-breaking skill \u2013 it lifts them and drops them to crack their shells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus<\/em>) can be recognized by the whimsical feather tuft beneath its beak. Its old name, \u201cBeinbrecher\u201d (bone-breaker), refers to its dedicated shattering of large bones. The alternate name \u201cL\u00e4mmergeier\u201d (lamb-vulture), however, comes from the false legend that it abducts sheep\u2014thankfully, it does not. Though one of the largest flying birds with a wingspan of up to 2.9 meters, it’s only interested in cold bones.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another biblical bird name is racham<\/em> (Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17), often translated as \u201cvulture\u201d but uncertain in identity. The Greek kyknon<\/em> suggests a white bird \u2013 perhaps the osprey (Pandion haliaetus<\/em>), which has a white breast and sometimes eats carrion. But the name fits best with the widespread Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hebrew word ajit<\/em> appears in seven verses (Gen 15:11; Job 28:7; Isa 18:6; 46:11; Jer 12:9; Ezek 39:4), four times referring to scavengers. With little linguistic context, it might refer to native vultures or generally include birds of prey and ravens. Some translations simply use \u201cbirds of prey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On land, these graceful thermal gliders seem clumsy and awkward \u2013 often stumbling over each other around a carcass, gorging themselves until they can barely move. This can hinder takeoff; pursued by hyenas, they might even vomit up food to escape. Still, when needed, they disappear fast. Solomon uses a similar image to describe fleeting riches: \u201cGlance at it, and it\u2019s gone \u2013 for it will surely sprout wings and fly like a vulture toward the sky\u201d (Prov 23:5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A noble trait of large diurnal raptors is their ability to rise and live aloft. God uses this to encourage Job: \u201cHis eyes behold the distance\u201d (Job 39:29), urging him to see his situation differently. Though Job still sits in dust and ashes, focused on ruin and death, the book ends with: \u201cNow my eyes have seen You!\u201d (Job 42:5). These soaring scouts remind us: while we wander through a maze, the exit is clear from above. God wants us to share in His perspective: \u201cI lift up my eyes to you, who are enthroned in the heavens!\u201d (Ps 123:1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFP : Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es-Atlantiques : d\u00e9vor\u00e9e par les vautours deux heures apr\u00e8s sa chute?<\/em> Le Point 03.05.2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boemans, B: http:\/\/geierwelt.blogspot.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.monaconatureencyclopedia.com\/torgos- tracheliotus\/?lang=en (zur Namensherkunft des Ohrengeiers)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schulze, CM: Zur Morphologie der physiologischen Foveae am Augenhintergrund von Greifv\u00f6geln und Eulen mittels Optischer Koh\u00e4renztomografie<\/em>. 2016 Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorw\u00fcrde der Tier\u00e4rztlichen Fakult\u00e4t der Ludwig- Maximilians-Universit\u00e4t M\u00fcnchen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schunke, C: Okularer Befunde bei Greif- und Eulenv\u00f6geln<\/em>. 2017 Dissertation zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Veterin\u00e4rmedizin an der Freien Universit\u00e4t Berlin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Image Credits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wikipedia: Flying Gyps fulvus<\/em> \/ Luc Viatour \/\/ Vulture feeding on zebra \/ Sharp Photography \/\/ Full-body Lappet-faced Vulture \/ Lip Kee Yap \/\/ Griffon Vulture from behind \/ Descobrimentos novos \/\/ Bearded Vulture \/ Richard Bartz \/\/ High-flying Griffon Vulture \/ MatthiasKabel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other licenses: Griffon Vulture at high nest \/ shutterstock_1302944821.jpg \/\/ Egyptian Vulture with egg \/ shutterstock_1104467927.jpg \/ SanderMeertinsPhotography<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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As a scavenger, its prey doesn\u2019t run away.
It simply needs to make sure it arrives in time to get its share, though the order[\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4025,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"remove_blocks_before_content":false,"remove_blocks_after_content":false,"disable_reading_progress_bar":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-birds-of-the-sky"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4023"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4591,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4023\/revisions\/4591"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}