Cathartes is a genus of medium-sized to large carrion-feeding birds in the New World vulture family, Cathartidae, order Accipitriformes, comprising three extant species found widely across the Americas, the turkey vulture, the lesser yellow-headed vulture and the greater yellow-headed vulture, plus one extinct species known from the Quaternary of Cuba. The name derives from the Greek word katharsis, meaning purifier, referring to the role these birds play cleansing the landscape of decomposing corpses.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Member Count Band Era First Appeared Classification
Living or Extinct In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ859043, descriptionView the Source 2. Wikipedia: Cathartes
- Taxonomic rank (Wikipedia confirms the entity; rank from slug/structure-wave classification)
In Group: New World Vulture Genera, Lead
The genus Cathartes includes medium-sized to large carrion-feeding birds in the New World vulture (Cathartidae) family.
View the Source3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for Cathartes
Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCountQuote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
"speciesExtantCount": 3
4. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Cathartes
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
"taxon_name": "Cathartes" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 0.774 ... "early_interval": "Chibanian"
Wikidata: Cathartes
Wikidata Q859043, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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