Why it's awesome: These scavenger birds have an unexpected way of keeping predators away — by projectile vomiting stomach acid and semi-digested meat at their attackers. Turkey vultures live in ...

A vulture can wolf more than two pounds of meat in a minute ... Inevitably vultures also visit the livestock carcass, or they eat the poisoned lions themselves. Whatever the vector, the birds ...

It only feeds on carrion—the carcasses of dead animals—and, by eating flesh before it rots, the vulture prevents dangerous bacteria and viruses from growing on decomposing carcasses.

The meat pieces were similar to what vultures typically eat, like mutton and venison. Some people thought the falling chunks weren’t meat at all but a strange jelly-like bacteria called nostoc.