Vulture

Vultures were a common species of bird.

Description
Vultures were large birds with filthy feathers. Their main distinguishing feature was their featherless pink head.

Behavior
Vultures were considered to be cowardly animals. Upon sighting anything on the ground that appeared injured or dead, a vulture would quickly swoop down to investigate.

Biology
Vultures had an acute, long distance vision. Their keen eyesight is comparable to that of any eagle, falcon, or hawk. Being carrion eaters, they developed the ability to consume infected, poisoned or rotting meat safely.

A female vulture could lay up to four eggs at a time. These eggs were incubated over a period of two months until they hatched. A young vulture could fly at four months of age.

Combat
Vultures were scavengers, attacking prey only once it has died or collapsed from exhaustion. Vultures only attacked moving prey if in a group, and only if the prey was already near collapsing.

Species

 * Bone vulture: A relative of the common desert vulture, this species had feathers that were as white as bones. They were endemic to the Western Heartlands battlefield, Battle of Bones.
 * High Ice Condor: Otherwise known by locals as "great soarers," were a species of vulture native to the arctic region High Ice. They were largely identical to their temperate cousins, though were covered in white feathers.

Ecology
Vultures typically lived in flocks.

Diets
These creatures were carrion eaters. They fed upon creatures that were either injured or already dead. Though they were also liable to attack creatures that were unconscious, restrained, or sleeping.

Habitats
Vultures typically inhabited high altitudes, such as mountains, within temperate or tropical regions. They were usually encountered in warm areas, floating on updrafts over open spaces.

In the Hordelands they could be found in the Katakoro Plateau, the Raurin and Quoya Deserts, and among its many mountain ranges.

In the Zakhara region's Crowded Sea, they could be found on the island chain of Nada al-Hazan and the archipelago of Jazayir al-Sartan.

Beyond the Prime Material plane, vultures could be found in the plane of Acheron.

Relationships
Vultures were a symbol and favored animal of Thasmudyan, the god of undeath in the Zakharan pantheon. Evil swanmays sometimes shapechanged into the form of a vulture.

Usages
The bones and feathers of a vulture were used as material components in the casting of some spells.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #39, "Below Vulture Point" • Dungeon #87, "The Raiders of Galath's Roost" • Curse of the Azure Bonds • The Rise of Tiamat • Tomb of Annihilation
 * Comics
 * Forgotten Realms (#6) • The Grand Tour
 * Novels
 * Sword Play &bull; The Ring of Winter
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance • Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms