Quiz (on scavenger birds)

Which two native Californian bird species qualify as the most non-violent animals in the North American (and world?) fauna.

Hint #1: Unlike just about every other creature on earth, they make their living without killing any other animal (even worms or insects) and even without killing or harming any plant or fungus or even necessarily any microorganism. Compared with these two birds, even a rabbit would qualify as a cold-blooded relentless killer.

Hint #2: These kinder, gentler birds are not exactly small, in fact they are among the largest birds in the sky.

Hints #3-x” They are dressed in basic black, with whitish feet and bill. They can’t sing or croak or screech. They are mute except for an occasional little grunt or hiss. The larger one is nearly extinct but the smaller one is still fairly common. they both are polite and well-mannered as birds go. They both were much respected by the Indians, even revered (especially the larger one). They transport/translate the grossly earth-bound dead to a new and more exalted life in the sky—from dross to spirit.

I think it’s about time we give top rank to the scavengers, human and non-human. 

Why is it that we Euro-Americans make such a point of reviling and despising scavengers? At the same time we make a big deal of admiring predators, raptors, killers. What is so noble about killing and violence and so ignoble about harmlessness? Herbivorous animals are also low on our scale of admiration, unless they also happen to be big and fierce or else big and huntable or big and dangerous like elk or elephant or rhino or buffalo . . . but not rabbit or rat. Bottom line: predators are always admired (with a few exceptions like weasels), herbivores can go either way (depending on how big and fierce), but scavengers are always reviled, along with parasites. Note: the same ranking holds also for human predators/carnivores, herbivores, scavengers, parasites.