We have an interesting vulture for you today – the Palm-nut Vulture!
These vultures stand out from others because they actually don’t eat a lot of carrion. Their main food source is palm nuts, which are the fruit from the oil palm tree.1 They sometimes go after dead fish, crustaceans, reptiles, or insects, but 60% of their diet is palm nuts.1&2
They stand about 20 inches high. They have orange faces and yellow beaks.2 Their wing span is almost 5 feet across and they have obvious markings of black and white.3 Because they rarely eat carrion, they have feathers on their heads.1
Palm-nut vultures are the smallest vultures. They only weigh three pounds.1
They’re found in west and central Africa, usually in forest or savanna habitats.2&3 Similar to other vulture species, these vultures will do some amazing aerial tricks when they court their mates, and females lay one egg. Both males and females care for the offspring.3
Palm-nut vultures are considered to be of Least Concern.4
You can learn a lot about a bird by looking at what it ate...
Barn owls make it easy – they produce pellets filled with the bones of the prey they ate, which you can dissect!
Hands-on activities are important for students. It helps them stay engaged with what they’re learning and encourages them to think critically and explore their environment.
Dissecting owl pellets is a perfect way to introduce students to scientific observation, problem-solving skills, and biology. Our Sherlock Bones guide is the best tool to have alongside you. Sherlock Bones and Sir Whetson help you along the way, giving you extra information about owls and how pellets are formed, and taking you through the dissection process step by step!
Start with our online Sherlock Bones Mystery or dive right into a physical pellet pack! |
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