Very large with a wingspan greater than two and a half metres. It has a long neck covered by whitish down which often becomes soiled because of its feeding habits. It has tawny brown plumage with primaries and tail somewhat darker. They nest on cliffs and they will fly many kilometres in search of carrion on which they feed. Their strong gastric juices protect them from infection by killing pathogenic bacteria or viruses which may have been responsible for the death of the animal concerned.
