ABSTRACT
This chapter focusses on vultures’ adaptation to urban and agricultural features, and how the processes of deforestation, savannaization, urbanization and desertifi cation affect vultures. The main issues concern the impact of urban areas on vultures in general, the parts of the urban areas that are favored by vultures or avoided by vultures and the different impacts of urbanization on different vulture species, Genera and families (i.e., the New and Old World Vultures). The smaller vultures, i.e., the Black, Turkey and Hooded vultures and to a lesser extent the Egyptian and possibly the White-rumped vulture have adapted variably to urban areas. The larger species generally avoid the urban areas. Vultures are also killed by pylons and wind turbines. Vultures also create problems when they collide with aeroplanes and when they invade human life spaces. Agriculture, the dominant modifi ed landcover globally, has also had both positive and negative impacts on different vulture species.
