Gier eagle
Heb. raham = “parental affection,” Lev. 11:18; Deut. 14:17;
R.V., “vulture”), a species of vulture living entirely on
carrion. “It is about the size of a raven; has an almost
triangular, bald, and wrinkled head, a strong pointed beak,
black at the tip, large eyes and ears, the latter entirely on
the outside, and long feet.” It is common in Egypt, where it is
popularly called “Pharaoh’s chicken” (the Neophron
percnopterus), and is found in Palestine only during summer.
Tristram thinks that the Hebrew name, which is derived from a
root meaning “to love,” is given to it from the fact that the
male and female bird never part company.