How Vultures Wey Dey Sky Fit Be Di Smartest Birds for Town
⬇️ Pidgin ⬇️ ⬇️ Black American Slang ⬇️ English
🦅 Inside Di World of Vultures 🦅
Vultures, wey people no really like because of dia way to dey chop dead body, get one kind brain wey dey sharp well-well. Evolution as scavengers don make dem get creative, smart, and wide-ranging mind.
For Maryland Zoo, two lappet-faced vultures don show say dem sabi follow each other do things. Di female vulture, Kenya, go hop on top tree stump and di male, Shredder, go do di same for another stump. Kenya go jump go ground, and Shredder go follow. E go even spread e wings wey reach seven-foot wide, show fluffy white feathers wey dey cover e legs. Kenya go mirror am, she go open one wing, den half of di other, and den di full wing: Ta-da!
Di zoo’s bird curator, Jen Kottyan, talk say dis mirroring behavior na good sign. Lappet-faced vultures, wey dey native to Africa and get di skin flaps, or lappets, for dia head, dey among di world most endangered birds. Maryland Zoo na one of di first zoos for U.S. to successfully breed dis vultures for captivity, and dem dey hope say dis new pair, now 2-and-a-half years old, go breed well wen dem mature.
Brandon Jones, wey dey work with di vultures, throw dem piece of raw meat. Di birds tear am apart and share am.
“I think she’s a little smarter than he is,” Mr. Jones talk.
“All vultures are smart,” Ms. Kottyan add. “I never meet vulture wey no smart.”
🧠 Vultures: Masters of Innovation 🧠
Researchers wey study vultures say dem get intelligence wey come from their special way to dey find food. Vultures no dey hunt live animals; dem dey look for dead meat. E no easy because e no sure when and where animal go die. So, vultures don get flexible neck for poke inside dead body and featherless head for easy cleaning, plus creative, cunning, and wide-ranging mind.
For example, Egyptian vultures don dey show say dem fit use stone break ostrich egg, but only after dem learn say di egg get food inside. Dem also dey use stick gather wool for sheep shearing pens, take am use as nest insulation.
Di vultures also care about their appearance. For breeding season, dem go roll for mud to paint dia body feathers red and chop herbivore dung to turn dia white face gold.
Black vultures for South America don learn to help sea lions born by cutting di umbilical cord of newborn pups and den chop di placenta.
🕵️ Research on Vultures and Problem-Solving 🕵️
To test how turkey vultures dey solve problem, researchers do classic string-pulling test. Dem hang meat from string and challenge vultures to try get am. Di vultures no fit use dia flat, webbed feet grasp, so some of dem suck up di nylon thread like spaghetti and stash am in their throat until dem fit seize di meat.
“Vultures be masters of innovation when e come to find food,” Dr. van Overveld talk. For one paper for Animal Cognition for 2021, e describe vultures as “an overlooked model in cognitive ecology.”
🌍 Vulture Intelligence and Movement 🌍
Vultures also get wide-angle intelligence. Dem dey move far to find resources across big areas of land and sky. Researchers wey dey track vultures with satellite transmitters don dey surprised to see how far dem dey fly, sometimes nearly 20,000 miles per year.
Di vultures dey look for carrion and di next source of uplift. Dem big, so dem need bulk to survive when carrion scarce. But dem heavy, so active flying cost dem plenty energy. Vultures don solve dis by becoming some of di world finest gliders. Dem dey stay for air for hours on breezes and thermals.
Emily Shepard of Swansea University for Britain and her colleagues study Andean condors, wey dey among di most massive soaring birds for world. Dem learn say di costs of gliding for
condors dey very low. “For bird as big as condor, flapping na really like sprint,” Dr. Shepard talk. Condors in flight dey flap just 1 percent of di time, way less than other long-distance gliders.
Vultures fit find fresh thermal columns by watching cloud patterns and revisiting reliable updraft hot spots. “Just as any glider pilot go tell you: If you see birds circling, na there you fly next,” Dr. Shepard talk.
When vultures see potential meal, dem go drop fast, plunging thousands of feet in seconds. Dem go attack carcass vigorously, different species stepping in as their skill set and boldness permit.
🦅 Vultures and Nature’s Cleaning System 🦅
Vultures reduce greenhouse gases from decomposing bodies, and remove harmful microorganisms from environment. Dem get strong stomach and microbiome wey dey help dem fight pathogens and toxins wey fit make other animals sick. Researchers don find microbes for vulture fluids and tissue samples wey fit block harmful bacteria, and genetic instructions for di production of antibiotics and other compounds.
Lauren Pharr Parks, vulture expert and forensic consultant, remember time when turkey vulture bite her finger. E pain well-well, but di wound heal quick, no redness, no swelling or infection. E suggest say vulture saliva fit get medicine properties.
🌳 Vultures Facing Danger 🌳
For all their importance, vultures dey face big danger. Sixteen of di 23 vulture species dey listed as threatened or endangered. Di biggest threat to dem na poisoning, both by mistake and on purpose. Conflict between people and carnivores often lead to vultures dying from poisoned carcass wey farmers set out for predators like lions or hyenas. Poachers also dey kill vultures to hide dia illegal activities.
In India for di 1990s, tens of millions of vultures die after dem chop carcass of cattle wey dem treat with diclofenac, anti-inflammatory drug. By di time experts figure out wetin dey happen, di Indian vulture population don collapse by more than 99 percent.
Scientists and conservationists dey work hard to stop vulture decline, through community outreach, education, and captive breeding programs. Ms. Kottyan for Maryland Zoo get hope for descendants of Shredder and Kenya. “If we fit tackle all di problems wey lappet-faced vultures dey face for wild,” she talk, “maybe we fit get some of our birds back out there, too.”
NOW IN BLACK AMERICAN SLANG
🦅 Vultures: The Smartest Birds in town 🦅
Vultures, you know, those birds that get a bad rap for chowing down on dead stuff, they got this evolution thing that’s sharpened their minds like crazy. Over at Maryland Zoo, Kenya and Shredder, two lappet-faced vultures, are straight up schooling everyone on how smart birds can be.
Kenya, the lady vulture, would hop onto a stump, and Shredder, her dude, would mirror her moves on another stump. She’d jump down, he’d follow suit. Then Shredder would flex, spreading his massive wings, showing off his style. Kenya would get in on the action, unfurling her wings with her own unique twist.
Jen Kottyan, the bird boss at the zoo, says this copying game they’re playing is a good sign. These vultures, with their dope skin flaps on their heads, are super rare. The zoo’s been on the forefront of getting these birds to breed in captivity, and they’re betting Kenya and Shredder are gonna follow suit.
🧠 Vultures: Slick Innovators 🧠
See, vultures are known for being sharp. Scavenging’s their game, and they’ve turned it into an art form. While other animals might hit up carrion now and then, vultures are all about that life. They’re out there, turning unpredictability into opportunity, with brains to match their skills.
Experts like Thijs van Overveld are all about how smart these birds are. Take the Egyptian vultures, for instance. They’ve figured out how to use rocks to crack open ostrich eggs. They learned that trick by watching and experimenting, which is pretty slick.
🕵️ Vultures and Their Problem-Solving Skills 🕵️
Researchers wanted to see how these birds think, so they set up this string-pulling test. They dangled meat from strings and watched the vultures work it out. These birds, with their not-so-handy feet, got creative. Some of them treated the string like spaghetti, sucking it up to get to the meat.
Dr. van Overveld is like, “Vultures got skills when it comes to finding food.” He’s talking about their ability to think outside the box, which he showcased in this study on vulture smarts.
🌍 Vultures: Scoping Out the Scene 🌍
Vultures don’t just eat; they’re out there, scouting the landscape, making big moves. They’re covering serious mileage, teaching us about how everything’s connected. They got this big-picture intelligence, always on the lookout for their next meal and the next lift.
These birds are hefty, so they gotta be smart about how they move. They’ve turned gliding into an art, catching thermals and breezes, cruising for hours. Scientists like Emily Shepard have been checking out how they do their thing, especially the big ones like Andean condors. Turns out, for a bird their size, gliding is the way to go. Flapping takes way too much energy.
Vultures are all about watching the skies, tracking other birds, and hitting up the spots where they know they can catch a ride on the wind. They’re like natural pilots, always knowing where to go next.
When they see a meal, they dive down fast, making moves to get to that carcass. Different vultures have their own ways of getting in on the action, depending on their size and style.
🌳 Vultures: Keeping the Environment Clean 🌳
Vultures play a big part in keeping things balanced in nature. They’re out there reducing greenhouse gases and cleaning up all kinds of nasty stuff from dead animals. Their bodies are built for this, with tough stomachs and a microbiome that’s got their back against all sorts of harmful bugs.
Lauren Pharr Parks, a vulture expert, had this wild experience where a vulture bit her, but the wound healed up quick, no fuss, no mess. That’s got folks thinking there might be something special in vulture saliva.
🌳 Vultures on the Edge 🌳
But here’s the thing: Vultures are facing some real challenges. A lot of them are endangered because of stuff like poisoning. Sometimes it’s accidental, like when farmers are trying to deal with predators and vultures end up collateral damage. Other times, it’s poachers doing the dirty work.
The situation got real bad in India back in the ’90s when a ton of vultures died off because of this drug called diclofenac. It
was a massive hit to their population.
Now, there’s a big push to save these birds. Folks are out there educating communities, talking to officials, and working on breeding programs. Shredder and Kenya at the Maryland Zoo might just be part of the comeback story for these lappet-faced vultures.
NOW IN ENGLISH
Vultures: Possibly the Brainiest Birds in the Sky
🦅 Unveiling the Intelligence of Vultures 🦅
Vultures, often disliked for their carrion-eating habits, possess an evolutionary history of scavenging that has shaped a mind both creative and cunning. At the Maryland Zoo, two lappet-faced vultures, Kenya and Shredder, have already mastered the art of imitation, a testament to their intelligence.
Kenya, the female, would hop onto a tree stump, followed by Shredder hopping onto another. She would then jump back to the ground, and Shredder would mimic her actions. When Shredder spread his wings, revealing fluffy white feathers, Kenya would follow suit but with her own flair, partially unfolding her wings in a display of mimicry.
Jen Kottyan, the zoo’s bird curator, explains this behavior as mirroring, a promising indicator of compatibility and intelligence. These birds, native to Africa and named for the skin flaps on their head, are among the world’s most endangered. The Maryland Zoo, pioneering in breeding lappet-faced vultures in captivity, anticipates similar success with this new pair.
🧠 Vultures: Masters of Innovation 🧠
Vultures are recognized for their remarkable intelligence, which is essential for their specialized scavenging lifestyle. Unlike other animals that feed opportunistically on carrion, vultures exclusively seek out dead meat. This reliance on unpredictable sources of food has fostered not only their physical adaptability but also a sharp and inventive mind.
Researchers like Thijs van Overveld, a vulture expert, acknowledge the vulture’s ingenuity, especially in using tools and strategizing to fulfill their needs. Egyptian vultures, for instance, have demonstrated the ability to use stones to crack open ostrich eggs, a skill learned through observation and experimentation.
🕵️ Research and Discoveries in Vulture Behavior 🕵️
To understand vultures’ problem-solving abilities, researchers conducted a string-pulling test. The vultures were challenged to retrieve meat hanging from strings. Displaying innovation, some vultures sucked up the nylon thread like spaghetti to reach the meat, a technique adapted to their physical limitations.
Dr. van Overveld highlights vultures as innovators in foraging, underscoring their cognitive abilities. Vultures exhibit what can be described as wide-angle intelligence, scanning vast landscapes for resources. Their satellite-tracked movements reveal astonishing distances covered, nearly 20,000 miles per year, showcasing their strategic thinking.
🌍 Vulture’s Role in the Ecosystem 🌍
Vultures play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. They reduce greenhouse gases emitted by decomposing corpses and remove harmful microorganisms from the environment. Their robust digestive systems and unique microbiomes equip them to safely process bacteria-laden carrion.
Lauren Pharr Parks, a vulture expert, recalls an incident where a turkey vulture’s bite on her finger healed remarkably quickly, suggesting potential medicinal properties in vulture saliva.
🌳 Challenges Facing Vultures 🌳
Despite their ecological importance, vultures face severe threats, with sixteen out of twenty-three species listed as endangered or threatened. Poisoning, both accidental and deliberate, poses a significant danger. Vultures often fall victim to poisoned carcasses intended for predators like lions or hyenas. Poachers also target vultures to avoid detection.
The devastating impact of accidental poisoning was starkly evident in India during the 1990s, where diclofenac-treated cattle carcasses led to a catastrophic decline in vulture populations.
Efforts to conserve vultures are ongoing, involving community outreach, government negotiations, research, and breeding programs. Conservationists like Ms. Kottyan hold hope for the future of species like the lappet-faced vultures, aiming to reintroduce captive-bred birds into the wild.
This version of the article translates the original content about vultures’ intelligence and challenges into English, incorporating the same emojis for a coherent and engaging narrative.
