Although it's hard to predict the weather in the early morning on China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, vultures there leave their nests to forage for food everyday no matter how bad the weather may be.

A young bird is alone in the nest. As the chick grows, so does its appetite, forcing its parents to fly further and further in search of food.

It suddenly begins to hail just before noon. The ground is soon covered by balls of ice. There is no refuge for any animals in the region as they have to endure the storm.

This July, join us to explore the secret lives of the Himalayan vultures living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the highest plateau in the world with an average elevation of more than 4,000 meters. Part of the plateau locates in China's northwestern and southwestern regions.

Today we bring you the sixth installment of the 16-episode series.

The video is credited to "The Himalayan Vultures" from the CCTV documentary.

Watch more: 

The Himalayan vultures: Snowy land's holy birds

The Himalayan vultures: Bridges between life and death

The Himalayan vultures: Bad news

The Himalayan vultures: Vulture parents

The Himalayan vultures: Growing up

(Cover image via VCG)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)