While bald eagles appear on things like the American seal and the quarter, their cousins the vultures don’t get the same respect. Many folks consider vultures as gross, while eagles are majestic. They’d rather identify with a dignified national emblem than a bird routinely seen with its head buried in a carcass.
But vultures are more peaceful than eagles, eating what’s already dead rather than killing it. And they provide an important service as one of the planet’s most reliable janitors. That’s why vulture boosters started International Vulture Awareness Day on the first Saturday in September each year. Let’s celebrate with some vulture fun facts that will give you a more nuanced understanding of this much-maligned bird.