A vulture's representation in common modern-day media is one that shows only death. The actual vulture, however, cleans up the environment and ensures that diseases spread slower by preventing larger amounts of bacteria from arriving on the corpse. These birds are the largest birds in the raptor subclass, as their bodies are adapted to soaring high into the sky. Avoiding obstacles that most birds can't avoid allows their wingspans to be much greater, letting them have faster flight speeds and easier glides.