Why do vultures like to ride high on the thermals?

Question

I was watching some black vultures today, and some of them were thousands of feet high. I doubt they were looking for food at that height. Can they see a dead mouse or rabbit at 3000 feet? It was like they were enjoying their rides, the wind or soaking up sun rays.

Answer 1

It's possible they are just having fun or they might be trying to get a good idea of what their local area looks like, so they can always return home.

Just a stab at it, i'm not sure really :/

Answer 2

Once they have secured a thermal, they allow it to carry them upward in rising circles.  When they reach the top of the thermal, they dive across the sky at speeds near 60 miles per hour, losing altitude until they reach another thermal.  All this is done without the necessity to flap.

the Turkey vulture can glide for over 6 hours at a time without flapping a wing!