Most vultures consume carrion, garbage, and even excrement, but rarely do they descend upon live animals. A few occasionally take helpless prey such as lambs and tortoises or, in the case of Andean condors, newborn calves. Vultures may remain aloft for hours, soaring gracefully on long, broad wings. When one bird descends to a dead or dying animal, others may be attracted from miles away. When feeding, vultures maintain a strict social order based on body size and strength of beak. Smaller vultures must wait for the scraps left behind by the larger, dominant species. Even large vultures, however, give way to nearly all mammalian competitors, including jackals, hyenas, and coyotes.

Old World vultures build large stick platform nests in trees or on cliffs, sometimes in large colonies. Most of the larger Old World vultures lay only a single egg. New World vultures do not build nests but lay their eggs in natural cavities in cliffs or trees. The smaller New World vultures lay two eggs and incubate them for just over a month. The largest species lay only a single egg that may take nearly two months to hatch. The young mature more slowly than those of typical birds of prey.

Based on information in the passage, which is true of vultures?
A) Egg-hatching occurs at the same rate
B) Nests are similar regardless of species
C) Vultures fiercely protect their food
D) Vultures have a varied diet