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Published online 25 April 2002 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news020422-14
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Faeces brings colour to birds' faces
Endangered vulture eats excrement to attract mates.
Eating cow, goat and sheep excrement gives the Egyptian vulture the edge in the mating game.
Ungulate droppings contain pigments called carotenoids, which birds cannot produce for themselves.
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