Vultures are large birds of prey that live mainly as scavengers on carrion. They are divided into two groups, the new world vultures, family Cathartidae, and the old world vultures, subfamily Aegypiinae, family Accipitridae. Both groups are placed in the order Falconiformes, together with hawks and eagles, and old world vultures, however are of more ancient evolutionary origin and have been linked genetically to the storks. The combined classification resulted from superficial similarities produced by convergent evolution; thus the head and neck of all vultures are usually bare except for a thin covering of down, and both groups have weak feet adapted more for walking than clutching. Bills of New World vultures, however, are relatively weak of the Old World vultures are generally much stronger.
