Vulture vs. Eagle: What’s the Difference?
Main Difference
The main difference between Vulture and Eagle is that the Vulture is a common name for several types of scavenging birds of prey and Eagle is a large carnivore bird.
Vulture
A vulture is a scavenging bird of prey. The two types of vultures are the New World vultures, including the Californian and Andean condors, and the Old World vultures, including the birds that are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains. Some traditional Old World vultures (including the bearded vulture) are not closely related to the others, which is why the vultures are to be subdivided into three taxa rather than two. New World vultures are found in North and South America; Old World vultures are found in Europe, Africa, and Asia, meaning that between the two groups, vultures are found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald head, devoid of normal feathers. Although it has been historically believed to help keep the head clean when feeding, the bare skin may play an important role in thermoregulation. Vultures have been observed to hunch their bodies and tuck in their heads in the cold, and open their wings and stretch their necks in the heat. Vultures also use urine as a way to keep themselves cool by urinating on themselves.
A group of vultures is called a kettle, committee or wake. The term kettle refers to vultures in flight, while committee refers to vultures resting on the ground or in trees. Wake is reserved for a group of vultures that are feeding. The word Geier (taken from the German language) does not have a precise meaning in ornithology; it is occasionally used to refer to a vulture in English, as in some poetry.
Eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, not all of which are closely related. Most of the 60 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just 14 species can be found—2 in North America, 9 in Central and South America, and 3 in Australia.
Vulture (noun)
Any of several carrion-eating birds of the families Accipitridae and Cathartidae.
Vulture (noun)
A person who profits from the suffering of others.
“Within ten minutes of the accident, the vultures appeared and were organizing lawsuits.”
“ambulance chaser|vampire”
Vulture (verb)
To circle around one’s target as if one were a vulture.
“Rudy vultured when asking the girl out.”
Eagle (noun)
Any of several large carnivorous and carrion-eating birds in the family Accipitridae, having a powerful hooked bill and keen vision.
“erne|broadwing”
Eagle (noun)
A representation of such a bird carried as an emblem, e.g. on a coat of arms.
Eagle (noun)
A gold coin with a face value of ten dollars, formerly used in the United States.
Eagle (noun)
A 13th-century coin minted in Europe and circulated in England as a debased sterling silver penny, outlawed under Edward I.
Eagle (noun)
A score of two under par for a hole.
Eagle (verb)
To score an eagle.
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