Being able to track down food sources is a pretty critical pastime of nearly every moving animal on the planet. Most vultures rely on eyesight to identify thier next meal, however, a handful of species actually use scent as well (Greater and Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures, and possibly King Vultures). This is a feat which requires a really powerful sense of smell, which is pretty unusual among birds. The reliance on smell was "proven" (i.e. heavily supportedf by evidence explained) by a study that showed these vultures had absolutely massive olfactory bulbs. According to US Fish and WIldlife Service, a Turkey vulture can use smell to track a food source up to 5 miles away.

Sources:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/do-vultures-find-dead-animals-by-smell-or-by-tracking-predators-or-scavengers-on-the-ground/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/turkey-vultures-have-keen-sense-smell-and-now-we-know-why-180967599/

https://www.facebook.com/USFWS/photos/turkey-vultures-have-an-extraordinary-sense-of-smell-helping-them-to-find-their-/10159064618330775/


haggadah Section: Tzafun