Vulture: Nature's Ghastly Gourmet

by Wayne Grady

From the bald, scarlet-headed turkey vulture to the colorful king vulture with its red-rimmed eyes to the giant California condor, vultures have been reviled as disgusting, hideous scavengers that greedily feast on rotting carcasses. Here VULTURE combines a fascinating, authoritative text with 60 dramatic color photos to examine the myth and reality of this unique creature .

Genres: Nonfiction, Birds, Nature, Science, Natural History

110 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1997

About the author

Wayne Grady is the award-winning author of Emancipation Day, a novel of denial and identity. He has also written such works of science and nature as The Bone Museum, Bringing Back the Dodo, The Quiet Limit of the World, and The Great Lakes, which won a National Outdoor Book Award in the U.S. With his wife, novelist Merilyn Simonds, he co-authored Breakfast at the Exit Café: Travels Through America. And with David Suzuki he co-wrote the international bestseller Tree: A Life Story.

He has also translated fourteen works of fiction from the French, by such authors as Antonine Maillet, Yves Beauchemin, and Danny Laferrière. In 1989, he won the Governor General’s Award for his translation of Maillet’s On the Eighth Day. His most recent translation is of Louis Hamelin’s October 1970, published by House of Anansi Press in 2013.

Grady teaches creative writing in the optional-residency MFA program at the University of British Columbia. He and Merilyn Simonds live in the country north of Kingston, Ontario.

Reviews

[Aly]

This was quite an informative and quick read. I am a fan of any book related to animals and nature, but I didn't know much about vultures and condors in general... For beginners, this is a great book to start with. It focuses mainly in new world vultures, with brief comments about the old world ones, and brings up the history behind the Andean Condor and the Californian Condor conservation strategy. Recommended for anyone interested in these birds but know little information about them.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to vultures. Some of the most common species are discussed at length. The conservation story of the California Condor is quite moving.

[Allen Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fascinating, I didn't know that they have no voice and they do not have nests. Some do not have smell, but nonetheless it's an amazing one of God's creatures.

[Steve Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in a local used bookstore. It's an easy, quick and entertaining read. The most interesting part of the book is describing traditional "sky burials" of certain Buddists in Tibet and Parsees in India. There the dead are lifted to the top of temples and offered to the vultures.

The species accounts on Turkey and Black Vultures and the California Condor are larger than for other species, but I found the info on the Andean Condor and King Vulture enjoyable.

[Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book left me lacking. As it was, I learned little about vultures. I was so hoping for more. Little research seemed to be collected to write this book. Very short book. Pictures and artwork are used to fill the book. Really needed to go into more information on the different birds. Would have liked to see a breakdown of comparisons. What is written gets confusing. Not very clear.

[Kimberly Stever · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book for those with an interest in one of the world’s most unloved birds. It’s also a gorgeous little book with macabre illustrations and fun little blurbs and anecdotes in the margins. Grady is an excellent writer and this book is imbued with his dark humor and wit. He touches on the vulture in various ancient religions and cultures, and its place in modern ritual. For a bird which draws such negative connotations from most modern people, it enjoyed a place of honor in the minds of our predecessors. Through all of this he manages to twine facts and stories about old and new world vulture life history, behavior and conservation efforts, leaving me with a desire to know more about these amazing creatures!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book with many full-page photo spreads. Not a lot seems to be known about vulture behavior.

As this book is published by the Sierra Club, the content is heavily “political” re: conservation and “climate change”.

I enjoyed the anecdotal stories, but really wanted to learn more than this book could teach.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely ugly bird friends <3

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"From the bald, scarlet-headed turkey vulture to the violently colored king vulture -- with its red-rimmed eyes, purple wattles and orange beak -- to the giant California condor, vultures have been reviled as hideous scavengers that feed greedily on rotting carcases. But vultures are magnificent birds in their own right and perform an important service by cleaning up the environment and preventing the spread of disease. Combining a fascinating and authoritative text with dramatic, full-color phographs and elgant line drawings, Vulture explores the myth and the reality of this much maligned bird.

"Although veteran science write Wayne Grady includes a discussion of the Old World vultures, Vulture focuses on the seven species of New World vultures, describing their mating, breeding and feeding habits as well as their bad breath and untidy nests. Some vultures rely on their exceptionally keen eyesight, whereas others have a highly developed sense of smell. All vultures ride the thermals more efficiently than any other bird, gliding for miles without expending a single calorie of energy.

"Grady also explores the relationship between vultures and human beings. California condors were the origin of the Thunderbird myth, and the Egyptian vulture was declared sacred by the Pharoahs. In Sky Burials in India and Tibet, the dead are left on the famed Towers of Silence to be eaten by hordes of vultures. The book ends with the story of the California condor, which has been rescued from the brink of extinction by a dedicated team of scientists and conservationists.

"Throughout the book, spectacular photographs capture the birds as they soar above the grasslands of Africa, perch atop a cactus in Mexico, or dry their feathers in the morning sun in Texas. Enchanting line drawings illuminate the mythological and deliciously macabre side of the vulture. Together, text and images present a vivid portrait of the vulture in all its ghoulish glory."
~~front flap

Not much left to say, after that introduction, is there?

[S E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, beautiful photos, though i wish there were more of them. I like to find out what previous peoples (100 years or 5000 years) thought and believed about vultures. Also I found out how people have used the birds in their culture.

[Jackee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview and beautiful pictures. It's bit outdated, but many of the species status stuff still hold true.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

nice pictures, not all that informative nor well researched

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

As this book states, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and this little book helped me to find these magnificent birdies beautiful.

[Rachel (Sfogs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not know much about vultures. And I have learnt a lot for this book. Makes me want to learn more about them.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about the California condor recovery program.