Vultures are scavenging birds , feeding mostly on the carcasses of dead animals . Vultures are found on every continent except Antarctica and Oceania . A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald head , devoid of feathers . Research has shown that the bare skin may play an important role in thermoregulation . [1] A group of vultures is occasionally called a venue , and when circling in the air a group of vultures is called a kettle . The word Geier (taken from the German language ) does not have a precise meaning in ornithology , and it is occasionally used to refer to a vulture in English, as in some poetry. Vultures are medium to large-sized birds that are adapted to a diet of dead animals. They have weak feet with blunt talons and bare heads to prevent the feathers from becoming dirty while feeding. Their long, broad wings are efficient for long distance soaring. Vultures regurgitate food from their crops for their young instead of carrying prey to the nest.