Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) Uses Stone-throwing to Break into a Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) Egg

The use of tools is a trait typical of hominids and great apes but is uncommon in other vertebrates (Alcock 1972). Among birds, only a few species have been observed manipulating objects as tools to exploit food resources that would otherwise be inaccessible. The most widely known examples include the Woodpecker Finch (Camarhynchus pallidus), which uses twigs or cactus spines to extract arthropods from crevices (Eibl-Eibesfeldt 1961, Tebbich and Bshary 2004) and the New Caledonian Crow (Corvus moneduloides), able to manufacture and use tools to extract prey from vegetation (Hunt 1996). Additionally, the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), a medium-sized scavenger, profits from Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) eggs by breaking them with the aid of stones (van Lawick-Goodall and van Lawick 1966). These authors described how all Egyptian Vultures they saw in the Serengeti...